Corporate America is showing no signs of rushing to get hold of the vast majority of Trump high-level officials.
Prominent Trump-era figures faced tough job prospects in late 2020, but top US companies have further distanced themselves from Republicans following the deadly Mafia attack on the Capitol earlier this month.
Several ex-officials have found employment with right-wing think tanks and conservative organizations instead of taking plum jobs as corporate executives or board members, while others, such as former White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow
Larry Kudlow MORE return to their previous work on cable news.
Experts say the job offer for former Trump aides is shrinking, with many companies aware of the potential for backlash from consumers, employees or shareholders if they extend 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 will be hired. Not everyone, but I think the more political you are, that may be your only option right now, ”said Ivan Adler, president of Ivan Adler Associates, a lobbyist recruitment firm.
The job outlook for Trump officials is decidedly different than for Obama aides in January 2017, when the 44th president left office with an approval rating of nearly 60 percent. Former President Trump
Donald Trump Biden reverses Trump’s last-minute attempt to freeze 0.4 billion programsHis approval score was about half that on January 20, marking the lowest point of his presidency.
Several of Trump’s top officials have landed jobs, but not in the kind of high-profile places many Obama alumni have ended up.
“I think Fortune 500 companies will be extra careful about bringing in people from the recent records,” said a recruiter. “Especially now that everyone has had some sort of abandonment in making corporate donations, I think everyone is super sensitive not to seem like they’re signaling something they don’t intend to hire by someone who recently left.”
Companies like Amazon and Comcast announced a cessation of political donations immediately after the mob’s attack on the Capitol on January 6, and many introduced a freeze on contributions to the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn Electoral College results. to make.
“It has made things much worse,” said a former George W. Bush associate, referring to the uprising in the Capitol.
“I think it would get tougher for election, it would get tougher after the election circus and nearly impossible again after January 6 to hire a Trump official through corporate America,” the former assistant added. “Corporate America will have a very tough bar for Trump appointees to jump over.”
Mark Meadows
Mark Meadows Former Trump Officials Finding Job Market Difficult Lou Dobbs Knocks ‘Little’ Republicans Criticizing Trump The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems Requests Trial; January will be MORE deadliest pandemic month, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, will join the Conservative Partnership Institute, led by former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (R).
Former Minister of Transport Elaine Chao
Elaine Chao Former Trump Officials Find Tough Job Market How Mitch McConnell Blew His ‘LBJ Moment’ And Returned The GOP To Trump Mark Meadows Joins Conservative Partnership Institute MOREwho is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Republicans Struggle To Unite Towards The Next Election Cycle The President Has Changed But Washington Not Former Trump Officials Finding A Tough Job Market MORE (R-Ky.) And was the first cabinet member resign in protest After the Capitol riot, she returns to the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank where she worked for the Trump administration.
She will be accompanied there by the former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Mike Pompeo Belarusian police arrest 160 protesters calling for the impeachment of president Taiwan violates standards to find US military activity in defense zone Former Trump officials find tough job market, which is in the mix of potential presidential candidates for 2024.
“I’ve talked to probably 70 people in this administration, and they understand it’s going to be a challenge. Lobbying or law firms usually hire people, not corporate America, ”one recruiter told The Hill.
Former Obama aides, however, have been largely embraced by major American companies.
Former White House press secretary Josh Earnest is now senior vice president and chief communication officer at United Airlines after a stint with NBC and MSNBC as a political analyst, while onstage predecessor Jay Carney, less of a senior vice president- got a job at Amazon. than a year after leaving the Obama administration.
For Trump’s former communications officers, the media atmosphere holds the most promise.
Kudlow, a former CNBC host, is moving to Fox Business, and former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has been in conversation with Fox News.
“These are household names or they have become household names. They will attract viewers and audiences. It makes sense that they could land something in the space of the media platform. I think it will be a lot more challenging for those who don’t have that brand awareness, ”said Julian Ha, a partner at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm.
Some of the high profile millionaires or billionaires of Trump’s cabinet – former Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross
Wilbur Louis Ross Former Trump Officials Find Tough Job Market On The Money: Retail Sales Fall in Final Sign of Weakening Economy | Fast food workers on strike for minimum wage | US officials express concern over Mexico’s handling of energy permits. US officials express concern over Mexico’s handling of energy permits MORE, former Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin
Steven Mnuchin Former Trump officials find the job market tough Louise Linton plays murderous, sex-obsessed hedge fund manager in her writer-director debut The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden calls for legislative patience, urgent action amid crisis MORE and former education secretary Betsy DeVos
Betsy DeVos Former Trump Officials Find Tough Job Market Pardon Talks Get More Intense As Trump Approaches Last 24 Hours in Azar Office in Exit Letter to Trump Says Capitol Riot Could ‘Tarnish’ Legacy MORE – have not announced their next steps.
A former Trump official argued that the recruitment options depend on the person.
“Smart companies that don’t make decisions based on short-term political pressure will invest in down-to-earth, serious people from the administration – and there are plenty across the executive branch,” said the former official.
The vast majority of Trump administration executives have never met the president, focused on the policy, and are disgusted by what happened on January 6. It would be unfortunate if companies blacklisted these individuals without others. logical headline. “
But even jobs at lobby shops and trade associations – traditional landing sites for former government officials – are freezing after the mob attack.
“It really is a perfect storm: near-universal corporate dislike at the events of January 6, and the new, fully democratic landscape means it is even more difficult for these people to move to K Street,” said another former Trump administration official. .
According to a former Bush employee, the difficult market is unlikely to improve any time soon.
“I think a year from now you can count on one hand the number of Trump people hired to run trade associations or perhaps corporate offices. And those who are will not be considered Trump people in the first place. Their Trump service will be part of their resume, but not the only part, ” said the former assistant.