Corporate America shows no signs of rushing to snatch the vast majority of high-ranking Trump officials.
Prominent figures from the Trump era were already facing tough job prospects by the end of 2020, but major U.S. companies have distanced themselves from Republicans after the deadly mafia attack on the Capitol in early this month.
Several former officials have found employment in right-leaning think tanks and conservative organizations instead of getting plum jobs as corporate executives or board members, while others as former economic advisers to the White House Larry Kudlow
Larry KudlowMORE they return to their previous line of work on cable news.
Experts say the range of job opportunities for Trump’s former aides is increasingly limited, and many companies consider the potential reaction of consumers, employees, or shareholders if they expand a job offer to a divisive figure.
“I think a lot of these people will have to go to friends and family because that’s where they’ll be hired. Not everyone, but I think the more political you are, this could be your only option right now, ”said Ivan Adler, president of Ivan Adler Associates, a lobbyist recruiting company.
The job prospects of Trump officials are decidedly different from those of Obama aides in January 2017, when the 44th president left office with an approval rating close to 60 percent. Old President Trump
Donald TrumpBiden reverses Trump’s last-minute freeze attempt .4 billion programs Trump announces new legal dismissal team after reported departures as Republicans shoot to unify toward next election cycle MOREThe approval rating was about half that on January 20, marking the lowest point of his presidency.
Several senior Trump officials have secured jobs, though not in the high-profile positions where many Obama alumni ended up.
“I think Fortune 500 companies will be very careful when it comes to incorporating people from the recent administration,” one recruiter said. “Especially now that everyone has some sort of pause in business donation, I think everyone is super sensitive in not looking like they’re pointing out something they’re not trying to hire someone who has recently left.”
Companies such as Amazon and Comcast announced a halt to political donations immediately after the January 6 Capitol massacre, and many implemented a freeze on contributions to the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the results of the Electoral College.
“It has gotten a lot worse,” a former aide to George W. Bush said, referring to the insurrection at the Capitol.
“I think it would be a tougher pre-election, it would be harder after the election denial circus and again almost impossible after Jan. 6 for a Trump official to be hired by the American corporation,” the former added. assistant. “Corporate America will have a very hard bar for those designated by Trump to jump.”
Mark Meadows
Mark Meadows: Former Trump officials find a tough job market. Lou Dobbs hits “petty” Republicans criticizing Trump The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems question trial; January becomes the deadliest pandemic month MORE, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, will work at the Conservative Partnership Institute, headed by former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (R).
Former Secretary of Transport Elaine Chao
Elaine Chao: Former Trump Officials Find Hard Job Market As Mitch McConnell blew up his “LBJ moment” and returned the Republican Party to Trump Mark Meadows joins the Conservative Partnership Institute MORE, married the leader of the Senate minorities Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Republicans are shooting to unify for the next election cycle The president has changed, but Washington has not found former Trump officials a job market MORE (R-Ky.) And he was the first cabinet member to do so resigns in protest after the Capitol riot, he returned to the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank where he worked before the Trump administration.
The former Secretary of State will be there Mike Pompeo
Mike PompeoBelarus police arrest 160 protesters demanding the removal of President Taiwan violate rules to signal US military activity in the defense zone Former Trump officials find a tough job market MORE, which is in the mix of possible candidates for the 2024 presidency.
“I have spoken to probably 70 people in this administration and they understand that it will be a challenge. Lobbying or law firms are likely to take people, not American corporate companies, ”a recruiter told The Hill.
However, former Obama aides were largely embraced by major U.S. corporations.
Former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest is now senior vice president and head of communications for United Airlines after a stint at NBC and MSNBC as a political analyst, while his podium predecessor, Jay Carney, getting a senior vice president position at Amazon less than a year after leaving the Obama administration.
For former Trump communications staff, the media arena is the most promising.
Kudlow, a former CNBC host, moves to Fox Business and former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany has has been in conversations with Fox News.
“They are family names or have become family names. They will attract spectators and audiences. It makes sense that they could land something in the space of the media platform. I think it will be a lot harder for those who don’t have that name recognition, ”said Julian Ha, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive research firm.
Some of the renowned millionaires or billionaires in the Trump cabinet, former secretary of commerce Wilbur Ross
Wilbur Louis Ross: Former Trump officials find labor market difficult: “Retail sales fall at last sign of weak economy | Fast-food workers strike for minimum wage | US officials raise concerns about the manipulation of energy permits by Mexico, former Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin
Steven Mnuchin: Former Trump Officials Find Hard Job Market Louise Linton plays a murderous and sex-obsessed hedge fund manager in her debut with writer-director The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden defends legislative patience and l urgent action in the midst of the crisis MORE and former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos
Betsy DeVos: Former Trump officials believe the hard labor market is intensifying the conversation of forgiveness as Trump approaches the last 24 hours in the Azar office in an exit letter to Trump saying the Capitol revolt could “soil” the legacy MORE – they have not announced their next steps.
A former Trump official argued that hiring opportunities will depend on the person.
“Smart companies that do not make decisions based on short-term political pressure will invest in serious, government-led individuals, and there are many throughout the executive branch,” the former official said.
“The vast majority of Trump administration employees never met with the president, focused on policies, and are rejected by what happened on January 6. It would be a shame for companies to blacklist these people without any logical reason other than their anxiety about a bad headline. “
But even jobs in pressure shops and traders ’associations (traditional landing sites for former government officials) are freezing as a result of people’s attack.
“It’s really a perfect storm: almost universal business repulsion at the events of January 6, and the new fully democratic landscape means it’s even harder for these people to move to K Street,” said another former KP official. the Trump administration.
According to a former Bush aide, the difficult market is unlikely to improve any time soon.
“I think in a year’s time you will be able to count on the number of Trump people who were hired to run business associations or perhaps corporate offices. And those who are will not be considered primarily as Trump people. Trump’s service will be part of his resume, but not the only one, ”the former aide said.