For a man who thrives in the spotlight, Donald Trump has been notably low-key since his decisive win last week's presidential election. There have been no rallies, public speeches, or press conferences. Instead, Trump has spent most of his first week as president-elect largely out of view, holed up at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida.
As reported by the Associated Press, while keeping a low public profile, Trump has been busy behind closed doors, working the phones to reconnect with foreign leaders and laying the groundwork for his new administration. His quiet approach signals a shift in focus from the spectacle of the campaign trail to the behind-the-scenes tasks of transitioning to the presidency.
Trump may be keeping a low public profile, but he is far from secluded. At Mar-a-Lago, he's surrounded by a mix of advisers, friends, and paying members of the club, many of whom are eager to offer their opinions as he begins the crucial task of selecting top officials for his new administration. Among the most prominent figures in Trump's inner circle is Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, whose companies hold billions of dollars in federal contracts.
Musk, a frequent presence at Mar-a-Lago, is viewed by many as one of the most influential figures in Trump's orbit. Some even consider him to be the second-most influential person after Susie Wiles, Trump's campaign chief, who is expected to become his incoming chief of staff. With Musk’s business interests closely tied to government contracts and his public support for Trump, his role in shaping the administration is likely to be significant as Trump works to finalize key appointments.
“Very productive day of work by the transition team,” Musk posted on X, his social media company, on Monday evening.
Trump is expected to reemerge in the public eye on Wednesday, when he will make visits to both the White House to meet with President Joe Biden and the Capitol to consult with House Speaker Mike Johnson. Despite his quieter first week as president-elect, Trump is moving quickly to lay the foundation for his second term, with a faster pace of action than during his first presidency.
However, this private process is far from free of the cutthroat dynamics that have long defined Trump’s orbit. A former White House official, still close to Trump, likened the atmosphere at Mar-a-Lago to the cutthroat intrigue of the Game of Thrones series. Another former Trump aide, speaking anonymously, described a chaotic scramble among potential appointees as they jockey for key positions in the incoming administration. These behind-the-scenes maneuvers, though kept out of the public eye for now, suggest that the internal dynamics of Trump’s team are as intense as ever.
Eight years ago, when Trump pulled of a shocking victory over Hillary Clinton, he wasn't out of sight for long. He visited President Barack Obama at the White House two days after the election, then met with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill.
“We're going to move very strongly on immigration,” he said at the time. “We will move very strongly on health care. And we're looking at jobs. Big league jobs.”
Back in New York, back then, Trump Tower was transformed into the backdrop for a new political reality show. The media camped out in the lobby of Trump's namesake skyscraper to see who was coming and going. Sometimes Trump would ride the elevator down to offer an update or show off a guest.
In one notable moment that December, the rapper then known as Kanye West emerged with Trump, who said the two had “been friends for a long time”. Asked what they had discussed, Trump replied: “Life. We discussed life." Trump later came under intense criticism in 2022 for dining with Ye and a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.
Eight years ago, Trump also held transition meetings in New Jersey at his Bedminster golf course, where the media assembled many days for a procession of candidates before the assembled cameras.
Some, like future Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, ended up with job offers. Others, like Mitt Romney, did not. After the Romney meeting, the two walked out together and shook hands next to an American flag. Trump flashed a quick thumbs-up and said it “went great”.
The current arrangement is far different. There's no public access to Mar-a-Lago, which appears to be under even tighter security than it was in the immediate aftermath of two assassination attempts targeting Trump.
The roundabout in front of the property's entrance is fully barricaded, and vehicles from the Beach County sheriff's office and Secret Service were spotted standing guard, along with unmarked police cars, black vans and a golf cart on a recent afternoon.
Instead, Trump has announced his picks in statements and posts on his Truth Social site, while his comings and goings have been captured on social media by club members and their guests, who, as always, have near-unfettered access.
In one video, he's seen dancing to “YMCA” on the club's packed patio. In another, he and his wife, Melania, are cheered as they arrive for dinner. They were also spotted sitting together at a table with Musk.
Trump is known to have left Mar-a-Lago only once since the election, to visit another one of his properties. On Sunday, he returned to his nearby golf course — the same course where an eagle-eyed Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a gun pointing through the property's fence, thwarting a potential shooting — to play with his teenage granddaughter, Kai.
“Sundays with Grandpa," she posted on Instagram. Other photos from that day show Trump in a golf cart, wearing a white golf shirt, and later sitting in a burgundy leather chair in the club's restaurant next to Kai while someone leans in for a conversation.
Musk was also spotted at the course, where he was introduced to members. Kai posted a photo of her posing with Musk and his young son, saying that Trump was “achieving uncle status”.
Indeed, Musk has sometimes appeared to be a member of the family. On Election night, he was spotted giving his son a piggy-back ride through a Mar-a-Lago ballroom and joined a family photo of the president-elect with his children and grandchildren.
Since then, he's tried to put his imprint on every subject facing the new administration, according to people familiar with his efforts, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamic. His attempts at influence extend to issues beyond his expertise, like border security.
Trump has said he plans to give Musk a formal role overseeing a group that would recommend ways to make the federal government more efficient. Musk suggested that he could find more than $2 trillion in savings — nearly a third of total annual spending.
Trump also added Musk to a post-election call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who hopes the United States will continue the flow of military assistance to fend off Russia's invasion. Trump and Musk have both expressed skepticism about supporting Ukraine, and Trump often speaks admiringly of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has vowed to end the war before Inauguration Day.
Positions in the coming Trump administration are being offered far more quickly now than they were the first time around. In 2016, Trump announced his senior leadership team, including chief of staff, the Sunday after the election. But he waited 10 days for his first Cabinet appointment
This time, Trump swiftly named Wiles as his chief of staff. He's also chosen Stephen Miller, an anti-immigration firebrand, as a policy adviser, and Tom Homan as his "border czar". Trump has tapped New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as his ambassador to the United Nations and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to run the Environmental Protection Agency.
The competition for positions in Trump’s second administration has been particularly fierce. Unlike the surprise of his 2016 victory, this time, his allies have had four years to prepare, compiling personnel lists and policy proposals in anticipation of a second term. As a result, the process has become highly strategic, with many candidates being represented by PR agencies, lobbyists, and consultants working hard to secure their spots. In fact, one potential Cabinet pick even hired consultants to help improve their image and increase their chances of being selected.
Although Trump had previously indicated he already had individuals in mind for various roles, Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump's transition team overseeing personnel, had explained to The Associated Press that he hadn’t discussed any recommendations with Trump before his election win. This was due to Trump’s well-known superstitions, which have made him reluctant to make any final decisions about appointments until after the victory is secured. As a result, despite the detailed planning and lobbying, much of the decision-making remains tightly controlled by Trump, even as the behind-the-scenes maneuvering intensifies.
“What I do is I go and find the greatest candidates for the role. So each role will have, let's say, eight amazing candidates — fully vetted, fully capable of Senate confirmation, OK?” he said. “Then he'll start interviewing and he'll start considering. That's up to him, right? He's the chooser.”
(With inputs from AP)
