Conflict-ridden second term: Trump's staff increasingly at odds

Conflict-ridden second term: Trump's staff increasingly at odds FOCUS online editorial team • 14 hours • 1 minute read Tensions within the Trump administration are reaching a critical point, as the AP reports. Internal conflicts are shaping Donald Trump's second term. Most recently, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth came under media scrutiny after reports surfaced that he shared classified information about airstrikes in Yemen with family members. Former Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot called for his dismissal in an article for Politico, declaring, "The president deserves better." Conflicts and insults The unrest is also being exacerbated by Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who questioned the loyalty of Trump's advisors. According to the AP, Loomer said, "The advisors don't get along" and ridiculed the notion that the White House is like "one big happy family." Another point of conflict is tariff policy. Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and Trump advisor, recently got into a public dispute with Peter Navarro, the president's trade adviser. According to the AP, Musk called Navarro "dumber than a sack of rocks" and accused him of only protecting "his own interests." Spokesperson denies unrest Despite the internal unrest, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the Trump administration continues to function effectively. "The president and his team are doing their jobs," Leavitt stated, denying reports of internal disagreements.