Trump "restructures" the cabinet: after the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General are replaced, is it next for Commerce Secretary Lutnick?

Trump is mulling a fresh round of cabinet reshuffles. After Pam Bondi was removed as attorney general, both Commerce Secretary Lutnik and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer have come under Trump’s scrutiny as well. If this adjustment goes through, it would amount to the largest personnel shake-up of this administration since taking office 15 months ago.

Citing a report by U.S. outlet Politico2, the Xinhua News Agency said that sources said the White House is “actively discussing” removing FBI director Kash Patel, Army Secretary Daniel Driesskol, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, among other senior officials, though President Trump has yet to make a final decision.

In a report on Thursday, Politico said, a government official familiar with the matter stated that Trump is “very angry and will make personnel changes.” Bondi was removed as attorney general on Thursday, while former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stepped down last month.

The White House has not yet made a final decision regarding Lutnik and Chavez-DeRemer, but sources familiar with the matter say both are in precarious positions.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said Chavez-DeRemer and Lutnik “are both doing an excellent job in their roles for American workers, and they continue to enjoy the president’s full support.” However, this claim sharply diverges from accounts given by multiple sources familiar with the situation, who said Lutnik is “on thin ice.”

Reshuffle backdrop: political pressure and midterm-election anxiety

Citing two senior officials, Politico said the core logic behind this potential personnel change is to remove cabinet members whom Trump believes are “underperforming” or drawing “too much negative attention.”

A person close to the White House said** Trump is eager to complete his personnel arrangements ahead of the midterm elections, partly because he worries that if Democrats expand their seats in the November election, the Senate confirmation process for executive nominations will become even more difficult.** This means the reshuffle is not only accountability for current officials, but also a strategic effort to secure staffing slots before the political window narrows.

The White House has also acknowledged that the changes have an active political intent—to send voters a signal of “reviving the economy” through personnel shuffles. One official said that firing Lutnik would help the president “signal that he is taking action on economic issues.”

Lutnik: Wall Street ties can’t hide internal friction

The question of whether Lutnik will stay or go has long been a hotly debated topic in Washington’s political circles. Although he is a longtime friend of Trump, this Wall Street power broker has few allies in the cabinet and has long been trapped in an ongoing swirl of speculation about being pushed out.

Critics describe him as a hardline, polarizing figure, saying he is accustomed to selling the president immature proposals—and that after the fact, others have to clean up the mess. According to a Politico report this February, Trump himself was also unhappy about the Lutnik family allegedly profiting through government relationships. Cantor Fitzgerald, where his son works, denied any conflict of interest, but admitted the firm delivered a “record-breaking year of performance.”

In addition, earlier this year, Lutnik faced pressure after his name appeared in files related to Epstein, with legislators from both parties jointly calling for him to resign, even though he himself was not accused of any connection to Epstein’s alleged criminal conduct.

A senior White House official said Trump had previously considered removing Lutnik’s post several times, but in the end none of it was carried out. “The president repeatedly weighed the idea and then abandoned it.”

Labor Secretary: a cloud of internal investigations hangs over him

Chavez-DeRemer is also under pressure. The Labor Department inspector general is investigating her, accusing misconduct including drinking while on duty, having an improper relationship with a security official, and her staff allegedly arranging personal travel for her using official events. Chavez-DeRemer denies any wrongdoing, and the White House previously backed her.

A senior official said Chavez-DeRemer’s fate is “being discussed,” but it is also not yet decided.

After Bondi was dismissed, Trump on Thursday appointed Todd Blanche as acting attorney general. A government official said Blanche is a “front-runner.”

Meanwhile, according to a White House source familiar with the discussions, Trump met with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Tuesday to discuss California’s wildfires and explored the possibility of Zeldin taking over as attorney general.

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