As Trump’s circle of aides dwindles, there is little plan to stay until the end

WASHINGTON – Hope Hicks has been so close to President Trump that he heeded her advice last June to challenge the protesters and March across Lafayette Square to take a photo Arranged to show a „durability“ picture. The plan backfired when peaceful protesters were expelled from the square with grenades and chemical spray, but Mrs. Hicks remained a valuable advisor.

Now Mrs. Hicks cannot be found anywhere. She has only gone to the White House sporadically since Mr Trump lost the election, while continuing to collect her taxpayer-funded salary of $ 183,000.

However, she does not plan to add her name to the growing list of White House officials and cabinet ministers who are resigning or issuing public statements incriminating. Trump incited mass attack on the Capitol, in which two people were killed Three others died in medical emergencies. A person familiar with her thinking said Mrs. Hicks did not want to create trouble for Mr. Trump, so she simply plans to remain silent. Its last planned day was next week, which she told People had already been marked before the storming of the Capitol.

Some people on Trumpworld have started referring to the group that is faithfully sticking to Mr. Trump as „violating the dead end,“ these advisors so closely associated with him that they have few options available to them other than staying by his side.

Nick Luna, the president’s body, is still working on the building, even while clearing the West Wing. Johnny McInty, director of the Office of Presidential Affairs Dan Scavino, the president’s former golf club turned vice chief of staff for communications. Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, still works in the West Wing and plans to stay until the lights go out. But colleagues described him as having been traumatized in recent days.

Kylie McNani, the White House press secretary, is still there, too, but she didn’t come to the West Wing on Friday, to tell her staff that she needed to spend the day at home. Judd Derry, the deputy White House press secretary, plans to stay until Jan.20.

Stephen Miller, the president’s senior policy adviser who has been at his side since the 2016 campaign, continues to work for Trump. But even Mr. Miller was around less frequently due to his newborn who was sick in the hospital. His first day back full time was in his West Wing office on January 6.

His wife, Katie Miller, is the communications director for Vice President Mike Pence, whose close relationship with the president has been broken in recent weeks. Mrs. Miller was on maternity leave.

A group of senior officials have struggled to handle their roles: Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin; Larry Kudlow, National Economic Adviser; Robert C. O’Brien, National Security Adviser; And Christopher Liddell, head of the White House transition team. A person familiar with their plans said, but they all decided to stay in their jobs until the inauguration to try to keep Mr. Trump under control and to ensure the unfinished business is completed, despite their disappointment with Mr. Trump’s destructive behavior.

„I intend to stay and try to do the right thing for the country,“ said Mr. Liddell. An interview with a New Zealand newspaper. „It is really important that I keep my job for 12 days. This is an unreasonable and volatile situation.“

Pat A. Cipollon, the White House adviser, was considering resigning, but Friday evening he was still at his job.

Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and chief adviser, was seen in the West Wing on Friday after his return from the Middle East. He saw his presence as an attempt to control damage. He and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have been absent from the White House in recent weeks. It was a garbage truck Spotted in front of their house In the exclusive Calorama neighborhood of Washington on Thursday.

Those who were still at work were angry at the many who left. After Stephanie Gresham, the former White House press secretary, resigned on Wednesday, several Trump advisers said they viewed it as an opportunistic move by someone who had already withdrawn long ago.

Former colleagues on Friday were particularly angry at Alyssa Farah, a former White House communications director, who appeared eager to reinvent her role in the Trump administration by claiming. In an interview with Politico She quit in December because „I’ve seen where this is going“.

„They are fed from below showing their true colors,“ said Jason Miller, the Trump campaign strategist. „The Democrats still hate them. Trump’s rule will hate them for being a ship-bouncing rat.“

Alan Rapibort Contribute to reporting.