President Donald Trump is weighing further firings across his Cabinet as mounting domestic pressure over the Iran war sends fuel costs higher and heightens Republican anxiety ahead of November’s midterm elections, according to five sources with knowledge of White House deliberations, in reporting by Reuters.
Lutnick and Gabbard have emerged as the most prominently discussed potential departures, following Trump’s removal of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in the weeks prior. No final decisions have been made, officials said, but the prospect of further dismissals has grown considerably more serious.
“Let’s just say, based on what I have heard, Bondi is not the last one,” one White House official said.
The Iran war — now entering its sixth week — has sent fuel costs higher and pulled Trump’s approval numbers lower. Sources said the president wants any major personnel changes completed well ahead of November’s midterms.
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Gabbard, a former Democrat who ran for president in 2020, drew White House ire after she defended Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned in protest over Trump’s military campaign in Iran. Trump has since polled Cabinet allies on whether to replace her, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Lutnick faces separate pressure over renewed scrutiny of his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Documents released earlier this year showed Lutnick dining with Epstein at his Caribbean island retreat in 2012. Lutnick said he “barely had anything to do with” Epstein, adding that he ended up at the lunch only after his vessel happened to be anchored nearby.
Related: DOJ Caught Hiding Trump Accusations in Epstein Files
The White House denied any imminent firings. Spokesperson Davis Ingle said Gabbard, Lutnick, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer “continue to have the president’s full confidence.” Communications Director Steven Cheung separately said Trump holds “total confidence” in Gabbard.
Related: Trump Weighs Replacing Tulsi Gabbard as Intelligence Chief Over Iran War Disagreement
Some advisers cautioned against removing Gabbard before the administration identifies a successor, warning a second high-profile ouster in as many months risks further instability inside the US intelligence community.
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