Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
President Trump's penchant for chaos — overload the media, public and government with disorienting action and controversial figures — is mass-producing ... chaos, everywhere.
Why it matters: As Trump's 2.0 administration approaches its first 100 days, his less leaky, less back-stabby White House is starting to look more like the first-term one, with a surge in infighting and embarrassing public revelations.
- The promise of Elon Musk's DOGE is fizzling out, and many administration officials wanted him out of the White House well before he said Tuesday that he'll "significantly" cut back on his government work.
- Pete Hegseth's Pentagon is awash in firings, leaks and public warnings of internal ineptitude.
- Lots of officials are dumping on Trade Adviser Peter Navarro, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and others for their tariff strategy that provoked a global market meltdown, even though it's really Trump's policy.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett is covering his own hide amid lots of leaks about him being the voice of sanity. Oddly, good press can be one way to end up on Trump's bad side.
- Last week in the West Wing, the simmering tension between Bessent and Musk boiled over into a prolonged and heated shouting match over an IRS commissioner appointment.
- And after juicing economic unease by dumping on the Fed and suggesting he might try to fire Chairman Jerome Powell, Trump has backed away from all that — and much of his harsh talk on tariffs. For now, anyway.
Zoom in: Trump's 100-day report card next week also will include growing public concerns about DOGE's slash-and-burn through federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration.
- And the fighting in Ukraine and Gaza — which Trump promised to end just before or just after taking office — continues. Trump's hardline approach to Ukraine aid has rattled longtime NATO allies who say they no longer see the U.S. as a reliable security partner.
White House officials are shrugging it off. For now, at least.
- "None of it matters. It's all noise," one senior White House official said of the criticism of the administration.
- "People on the outside just have no clue how much incoming we absorb. This is part of the job. We ignore it."
Driving the news: The administration's biggest headache of the moment is at the Pentagon, which last week saw a series of senior-level departures.
- The turmoil has raised questions about the leadership capabilities of Hegseth, an ex-Fox News personality with no prior government experience who twice shared sensitive military plans on Signal group chats.
Things are just as unsettled on the tariffs front, where the White House has given contradictory statements on whether there will be exemptions for China-made consumer goods such as iPhones and laptops.
- Trump ratcheted up tariffs on China so high that it effectively halted some trade, horrified retailers and led him and Bessent on Tuesday to start slowly walking them back (albeit rhetorically, for now).
There's also been mixed messaging on the administration's handling of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
- During an angry Oval Office showdown with Volodymyr Zelensky in February, Trump had lambasted the Ukrainian president, questioning whether he wanted to end to the war.
- But now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. could withdraw from the peace talks within "days" if there's no deal between Ukraine and Russia.
- Amid all these unfinished deals, Trump reopened nuclear talks with Iran.
Flashback: Trump had virtually no turnover during his 2024 campaign — a sharp departure from his previous two presidential runs and his first White House. But now chaos also is returning in the form of firings.
- Pro-Trump loyalist Laura Loomer persuaded Trump to fire several National Security Council officials, who she argued were disloyal.
- Trump last week fired IRS Acting Commissioner Gary Shapley at the urging of Bessent, the New York Times first reported. Trump had appointed Shapley just days earlier at the request of Musk, who had gone behind Bessent's back to get it done.
What they're saying: "The president thrives in chaos, and that is part of his leadership style," said Marc Short, who was chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence during Trump's first term.
- "However, I believe the first administration was more united in its policy objectives, whereas now we get a different explanation daily on trade policy and our position on the Middle East and Ukraine, etc.," Short said.
- Administration officials push back on the notion that they're divided on policy, saying there's broad support when it comes to major issues like tariffs, for example.
What's next: Trump advisers say he doesn't plan to fire Hegseth — or any of his most senior officials, for that matter. If anything, he's more likely to come to the rescue of loyalists when they're besieged by a mainstream media he sees as unfair.
- Trump empathizes with allies when they're under attack, comparing the firestorms they're facing to the ones he has weathered.
- One example: Musk. Last month Trump had the White House driveway packed with Teslas — a photo-op that came amid rising scrutiny of DOGE and protests at Musk's Tesla dealerships.
- Trump similarly has a soft spot for Hegseth, whom he long wanted to be part of his Cabinet. After being interviewed by Hegseth last summer, Trump broached the idea of Hegseth running the Pentagon or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- "Have ya met Donald Trump? Telling him to fire someone is a sure fire way to make sure they don't get fired," said one senior adviser.