The Trump administration is facing a spike in departures of powerful Cabinet department officials compared to his first term, according to the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service.
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More than two dozen Senate-confirmed officials have left their Cabinet department positions so far during President Donald Trump’s second term, the nonprofit’s analysis found.
The departure of 27 officials in high-ranking positions far outpaces the total numbers in recent prior administrations, including Trump’s first term, when 11 Senate-confirmed officials in Cabinet department positions left their roles over the course of the four years.
The data analyzed by the Partnership for Public Service did not include departures of Senate-confirmed Cabinet department officials who were nominated under different administrations, nor did it include U.S. attorneys, U.S. marshals or ambassadors. Using the same parameters, only one Senate-confirmed Cabinet department official left during the Biden administration, as well as seven during President Barack Obama’s second term and five during President George W. Bush’s second term, according to the nonprofit.
Senate-confirmed officials depart their roles for a variety of reasons, including moving to other government positions and jobs that also require Senate confirmation.
Billy Long, for example, had served as IRS commissioner, a Cabinet department position that required Senate confirmation. Trump removed him last year, and he was confirmed this year as ambassador to Iceland.
Others have been fired or pushed out.
Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired in April amid internal Defense Department tensions between top officials. Other Senate-confirmed officials in the Defense Department have been fired, too, including Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who was ousted as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. military representative to NATO’s military committee; and Joint Chiefs Chairman CQ Brown Jr. Those three officials were not included in the Partnership for Public Service’s count because they were nominated before Trump’s second term began.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez was fired by the Trump administration after she refused to resign under pressure after she alleged that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wanted her removal for political reasons.
Some officials have resigned, sometimes due to unclear circumstances.
Gail Slater, who served as the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust unit, stepped down in February, writing in her announcement that “it is with great sadness and abiding hope” that she left.
Leslie Beyer, who served in a top role in the Interior Department, left just a few months after she was confirmed by the Senate.
Marty Makary resigned as Food and Drug Administration commissioner in May. NBC News previously reported that a source close to HHS leadership said Makary’s resignation was triggered by the FDA authorizing fruit-flavored vapes for adults, which he opposed.
On the top Cabinet leadership level, Trump has seen the departures of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, Pam Bondi as attorney general, Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary and Lori Chavez-DeRemer as labor secretary. Gabbard resigned after her husband was diagnosed with cancer, while Bondi and Noem were fired. Chavez-DeRemer resigned as the Labor Department’s inspector general investigated potential misconduct.
At the same time, Trump has seen turnover at a relatively similar rate as prior administrations when considering top officials in the president’s orbit who are not necessarily Senate-confirmed.
An analysis by Brookings, a think tank, found that in the first year of Trump’s second term, 31% of influential decision-makers in the administration experienced turnover, compared to 8% during President Joe Biden’s first year and 9% during Obama’s first year. However, 7% of Trump’s decision-makers saw turnover so far during his second year, compared to 35% during Biden’s second year and 15% during Obama’s second year.
Trump’s first term, too, saw a slew of departures among top White House officials, including positions that required Senate confirmation. The departures included Cabinet officials such as Jim Mattis who was defense secretary, Jeff Sessions who was attorney general, Rex Tillerson who was secretary of state, and Tom Price who was health and human services secretary.
Anthony Scaramucci, who did not require Senate confirmation, served just six days on the job as White House communications director during Trump’s first term.
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