As President Donald Trump heads into the final stretch before November's midterm elections, more and more of his administration’s officials have either been ousted or are under mounting scrutiny.
The recent departures of Kristi Noem, Paolo Zampolli and Kimberly Guilfoyle come as reports suggest White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is under fire and as new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia faces questions about her legal career, creating a series of personnel controversies just weeks before the midterm elections.
Together, they have created an unusual run of negative headlines about people hired by the Trump administration just weeks before voters head to the polls, raising the possibility that the administration's personnel problems could become a political liability.
This comes as Republicans fight to defend their slim congressional majorities in highly contested midterm elections that could prove consequential for the remainder of Trump’s second term. This year, several races are unexpectedly competitive amid Trump's declining approval ratings and concerns about persistent inflation, high gas prices and the Iran war.
“The administration is clearly trying to minimize any fallout from officials whose actions may have become liabilities that reflect poorly on the president,” Costas Panagopoulos, a political science professor at Northeastern University, told Newsweek.
“At the same time, the steady drumbeat of successive oustings calls into question Trump's judgment in hiring them in the first place and creates a sense of chaos that may not sit well with voters who expect competence and stability.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
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Questions Swirl Around Susie Wiles
Rumors about White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ future intensified this week after Politico reported that the president has reportedly discussed her role and potential successors with advisers.
Wiles was appointed White House chief of staff after Trump won a second term in 2024, making her the first woman in U.S. history to hold the position. Replacing her would be one of the most significant personnel moves of Trump’s second term.
Trump has publicly denied plans to replace Wiles, saying she has his “COMPLETE confidence.”
Wiles “is my loyal and longest serving Chief of Staff — there is a reason for that. She has been with me since the beginning, is my trusted advisor, and has my COMPLETE confidence," the president said in a statement provided to Newsweek.
White House spokesperson Danielle Alvarez also told Newsweek: “These anonymous sources know nothing. President Trump assembled a united team focused on his America First agenda — not the egos and political games of anonymous outsiders.”
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Three Diplomats Ousted
In recent days, three diplomats closely tied to Trump have been ousted from their positions.
Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-born businessman who has maintained ties with Trump for decades, was ousted from his role as special envoy for global partnerships on Thursday, Politico reported.
The news came just hours after the outlet reported on his months-long email fight with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
A U.S. official confirmed to the outlet that Zampolli’s status “as an envoy has been terminated and he is no longer a government employee.” Zampolli told the outlet that he had “absolute zero surprise” that he got fired after the article was published.
Also on Thursday, it was reported that former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is no longer serving as the administration’s special envoy for the Shield of the Americas initiative. A State Department official told CBS News that Noem’s envoy status expired in September and that she now serves as a senior adviser to Landau.
The news emerged days after Noem got into a social media spat with Kacey Musgraves after commenting on the singer’s support for Democratic candidate James Talarico in the closely contested Texas Senate race, prompting Musgraves to hit back with a reference to an anecdote Noem revealed in her memoir about shooting her family dog.
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Earlier this week, Trump loyalist Kimberly Guilfoyle announced her resignation as U.S. ambassador to Greece. That came shortly after the White House publicly called for her resignation as she faced severe criticism over allegations that she engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens.
The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host-country official, accepting improper gifts and services, and offering to use her influence inside the Republican administration in exchange for paying a large credit card bill.
Guilfoyle, who was previously engaged to Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., addressed the accusations in her resignation post on X.
“These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity,” she wrote. “I have dedicated my professional life to fighting for justice, standing up for what is right, and defending the values that make America exceptional,” she said. “I will not allow false accusations to define my decades of public service.”
New Press Secretary Under Scrutiny
Zacharia has had a difficult first week as White House press secretary, facing criticism for her short inaugural briefing and questions about her legal background. Trump defended her performance, telling reporters he thought she was "very good."
She has since faced scrutiny for calling herself a “lawyer” when she has not passed a U.S. bar exam. The Wall Street Journal reported that Zacharia sat for the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law in 2011 but did not pass. A law degree alone generally does not authorize someone to practice law in a U.S. jurisdiction.
Zacharia defended her legal background in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, saying she was preparing to take the California bar exam when she had just gotten married and planned to move to China to join her new husband.
She said the exam results were “inconsequential” because she wouldn't need to be a barred attorney while living in China.
She defended describing herself as a lawyer rather than an attorney, citing advice she said she had received and her subsequent experience working at a Chinese law firm. But when Hannity asked about 15 social media posts where she identified herself as an attorney, Zacharia said the posts were "retweets" and argued she wasn't endorsing the title, saying she had "corrected the record.”
On prediction markets, the controversy has led traders to bet on how long Zacharia will remain in the role.
As of Friday, Kalshi traders give Zacharia an 85 percent chance of leaving the role by the end of 2027, and a 47 percent chance she's out by January 1, 2027. On Polymarket, traders have given her a 31 percent chance of leaving the post by December 31.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Sam Wilson.