A former Trump national security official warned that President Donald Trump’s second administration has a different internal dynamic than the first. This change is due to the absence of two family members who used to be powerful gatekeepers in the West Wing.
Olivia Troye, who worked on national security issues during Trump’s first term, shared her views during The Court of History podcast hosted by Sidney Blumenthal and Sean Wilentz, according to Raw Story’s account of the interview. Troye noted that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner no longer act as internal checks during daily debates. She highlighted Kushner’s past ability to engage in policy disputes and push back against hard-line proposals.
Ivanka Trump distanced herself from her father’s political operation years ago. She stated she would not participate in his 2024 campaign and wanted to focus on her family’s private life. Kushner has also said he would not join a second Trump administration.
During Trump’s first term, Kushner managed a broad range of responsibilities that included foreign policy initiatives and high-level negotiations. He was also a key adviser with direct access to the president. Major accounts of the first administration portrayed Kushner as a central player in internal decision-making, especially during crisis management and interagency conflicts that often divided the White House into competing factions.
Troye’s warning emphasized the difference between a White House with a family-centered power block and one without it, as reported by Raw Story. In the podcast, Troye explained that Kushner’s influence gave him the ability to challenge senior aides, including Stephen Miller, who now serves as Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser.
Miller has gained more visibility and authority in Trump’s second term as the administration has focused on immigration enforcement and messaging, placing him at the center of strategic decisions, according to reports about his role and influence. Troye mentioned that Kushner’s presence during the first term helped shape negotiations and policy outcomes. His absence now means there are fewer internal checks on Miller’s approach, according to Raw Story’s summary.
Trump has repeatedly defended his current team, claiming that his second term benefits from the experience of the first administration. Meanwhile, several former officials from Trump’s first term have described a White House that relied on informal channels, loyalty tests, and shifting factions competing for the president’s attention.
Troye served as a homeland security and counterterrorism adviser to then-Vice President Mike Pence. She later became a notable critic of Trump’s leadership after leaving the administration in 2020. Her remarks on the podcast surfaced as the second Trump White House faces significant policy battles and increasing political pressure over immigration operations, including a tense period in Minnesota that led to internal blame-shifting among senior officials.
Troye’s main point, as Raw Story described, is that this change in who is near Trump now is as important as the policies themselves. She argued that without Ivanka Trump and Kushner in the building, Trump’s inner circle has changed, and this shift could impact how the White House deals with internal disputes and outside crises.
