Pete Hegseth, an alleged mastermind of the Trump administration’s rural strategy, is caught up in a scandal roiling his main street. This turbulence comes hot on the heels of the recent departure of Joe Kasper, former chief of staff. The job has yet to be filled, and aides to Trump have repeatedly failed to identify a replacement for a chief of staff. In his ambitions, however, Hegseth has to tread the cutthroat waters of D.C. internal politics and shifting allegiances.
Buria has since become a familiar face in the West Wing. Even though he’s already sitting in the position informally, the White House would not clear him formally for the chief of staff title. Now concerns are mounting over an alleged culture of dysfunction in Hegseth’s office. Consequently, the administration is rethinking its appointment strategy for that position.
To his credit Hegseth fought some fierce battles but ultimately caved when the White House offered a hefty, watered-down compromise. This new agreement allows Buria to retain his job as deputy chief of staff without receiving an official promotion. The White House told Hegseth that Buria is allowed to continue working in his current position. They did note that he certainly won’t be promoted to chief of staff.
Through all of this, Buria has successfully established his place within the pentagon, where he is known, and quite favorably, as Chief Ricky. His sway has grown tremendously, especially after the recent exodus of a number of Hegseth’s top aides. Three other top aides have exited since Kasper’s reassignment and terms of Kasper’s early resignation. Buria has taken advantage of this opportunity to fill the resulting power vacuum.
Buria was recently unable to participate in the NATO summit due to trip limits. His role in the Defense Department has taken on new importance. Without McCarthy’s behind-the-scenes arm-twisting, many of Hegseth’s most vocal critics and competitors would have managed to escape. This step deepened his establishment ties, not only in Hegseth’s office, but in the Pentagon.
As you’ll hear in the episode, Buria is doing his best to move through this very treacherous political terrain. At the same time, he’s under fire from a Pentagon inspector general investigation over the Signalgate affair. This investigation does put the credibility of his actions into question and could prove damaging to his ongoing clout inside the administration.
In fact, some Trump advisers actively worked to stymie Buria’s ascent, battling other forces inside Trump’s orbit. Sadly, those efforts have mostly gone poof in recent months. Hegseth has repeatedly defended Buria, sticking up for him when tensions and uncertainty were already rising with Buria’s leadership team.
“Restoring readiness and lethality to our military and putting our warfighters first after four years of ineptitude and abject failure by the Biden administration.” – White House spokesperson
Hegseth’s office is now embroiled in a brutal palace coup. This conflict underscores the bigger struggles the Trump administration is having in its attempts to keep government running smoothly and efficiently. The lack of a permanent chief of staff may hinder Hegseth’s ability to lead effectively, particularly as he navigates complex issues related to national defense and military readiness.