Inside Donald Trump’s transition when hopefuls flock to Mar-a-Lago.

Donald Trump’s Florida residence and private club Mar-a-Lago is once again the winter White House — the place to be for West Wing hopefuls as the US president-elect ushers a new administration behind its grand doors. Collecting.

While President Joe Biden will remain in office until January, this part of Florida has become a rival center of political power in America.

Just two years after an FBI raid found classified documents about US nuclear weapons and spy satellites stored in a bathroom, an eclectic mix of insiders are flocking to Mar-a-Lago, whose Patrol robot dogs and armed guards on boats.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, rumored as a possible energy secretary, was there on election night. Former US Defense Department Chief of Staff Kash Patel was also like that.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, was with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago during family dinners and meetings with world leaders.

Musk has been photographed with his son inside a private club and on the runway at Palm Beach International Airport, as they shuttle back and forth to be with the president-elect.

For those not invited to stay at Mar-a-Lago itself, hotels and restaurants around nearby West Palm Beach are teeming with office-seekers seeking influence in the new administration and those celebrating Trump’s victory. Full of supporters.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic and scion of one of America’s most famous political families, was at The Bain Hotel’s glamorous pool bar, where a fake ice rink and Christmas tree greeted guests.

Giant, golden Great Dane dog statues adorn the lobby and outside the elevators on each floor.

He is part of the transition team and the one-time presidential candidate is vying for a role influencing health policy.

Speaking ahead of the election, along with Democrat-turned-Republican former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, he said: “There are all kinds of ideas and people that we have to compete against on this transition team. For our vision. fight.”

Also prominently spotted at The Bean was Republican Marjorie Taylor Green, the Georgia congresswoman who recently blamed the Biden administration for flooding in Republican-held North Carolina. She is believed to be jockeying for a cabinet post.

At The Breakers, an Italian Renaissance-style oceanfront hotel, young Welts was most impressed by a visit from Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, who joined his friend Trump on stage on election night, but Joe says he has no personal political affiliations. Desires

The same cannot be said for others. A GOP insider the BBC ran into in the corridors said the change was a “free-for-all”, as different factions of the party battled for dominance.

“Trump likes to watch people screw up and suck.”

But the insider noted with a hint of concern that some of the “least acceptable people are starting to say they don’t want a role”.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, for one, has stated that he is not interested in working in the administration and would prefer a Senate leadership position.

Donald Trump is expected to pay less attention to elected officials to fill senior positions.

His son, Don Jr., said in an interview on Fox News that he wanted people who “don’t think they know better” than his father and that he wanted to block someone who did. Ready for what he thinks will be a disaster.

The president-elect has been vocal about doing things differently this time around, saying his biggest mistake during his first presidency was hiring “bad people, or disloyal people.”

In 2016, transition plans that former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had developed in concert with the outgoing Obama administration were scrapped.

Once Trump’s team won what was seen as an improbable victory, he decided to take an unconventional approach and fired Christie.

This resulted in an Apprentice-style parade of people at Trump Tower in New York that went on camera.

At that point, news crews gathered in the lobby to catch everyone headed to the golden elevator to see Donald Trump on the 26th floor.

While the world was still trying to understand what a Trump presidency would look like, influencers in Wall Street, media, politics and entertainment were all looking out for an audience, including Bill Gates, Al Gore and here Until Kanye West.

Trump seems to be prioritizing loyalty this time around, gauging who has been with him since day one.

And the world’s media abounds on hotel balconies and the parks and beaches around Mar-a-Lago, where security is fortress-like.

The transfer process is still unconventional in design, but so far it’s much more behind the scenes than it was in 2016.

Trump’s first appointment — Florida political consultant Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff — offers a hint that Florida’s conservative political operation may be poised to repeat its success in the White House.

Slater Bayliss, co-founder of Advocacy Partners, a Florida-based lobbying firm, has worked for and against Ms. Wiles during election battles in the state and mostly prefers to side with her.

“I would say, borrowing a nickname from my friends across the pond, Susie is the Iron Lady of American electoral politics.”

There has been a flood of offers from talent across the state, he says, which has served as “a bastion of resistance for smart conservative thinkers who love our country and want more of our voters.” Aspire to play its part in making reflections”.

Republican political consultant Max Goodman says the Florida wave is expected to hit Washington.

He expects Trump’s team to be composed of Susie Wiles’ team and mining workers in the state, whose congressional and Senate delegations came out early for Trump.

“There’s no hotter political farm system in the country than the state of Florida, when you have a president and the most capable political advisers call Florida home as chief of staff,” he said.

Despite having the second-largest Republican congressional delegation in the country, Mr. Goodman says Florida is “notoriously robbed” when it comes to seats at the leadership table.

They believe that with Ms. Wiles leading the charge, and key Floridians such as Rick Scott, could potentially turn into contention for Senate Majority Leader and Senator Marco Rubio’s top Cabinet post.

One man who has put his hand up to work in the transition is Joe Groeters, who is waiting to see how it shapes up.

He was a co-chairman of Trump’s Florida campaign in 2016 with Ms. Wiles, who was then the chairman of the Republican Party, and is now a state senator.

Mr. Gruters, a self-described “loyal foot soldier,” was the only member of the Florida Legislature to immediately endorse Trump’s 2024 bid and was present at Mar-a-Lago for his announcement. happened

They are counting on Ms. Wiles to take “battle-tested” lieutenants with her to Washington to fill positions.

“They know who the true believers are … and they probably have a pretty clear idea of ​​who they’re going to appoint to most of these positions,” Mr Gruters said.

Palm Beach didn’t quite do the red carpet for Donald Trump when he first arrived on the scene in the 1980s with his Mar-a-Lago purchase.

But walking around town now, it’s clear that this is firmly Maga country – Trump-branded bikinis and hats are a common sight.

Next week, Argentine President Javier Meli is expected to visit Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump and Elon Musk.

Also next week, CPAC, or the Conservative Political Action Conference, is hosting its annual investor summit at Mar-a-Lago with tickets costing $25,000 (£19,350).

And it’s unlikely that the southward migration will stop once Donald Trump is inaugurated and once again occupies the Oval Office.

Slater Bayliss — the Florida lobbyist — believes Trump will want to spend more time in Florida during his second term.

That would go some way, he said, “in making Mar-a-Lago’s 62,500 square feet the most hallowed property in the political universe.”

With additional reporting by Pratiksha Ghildyal