The Trump H.R. Shadow Battle

The two groups wants to forge a ready-on-day-one army of trained political appointees and a clearly-defined ideological action plan.
The two groups wants to forge a ready-on-day-one army of trained political appointees and a clearly-defined ideological action plan. Photo: Mary Altaffer/Getty Images
Tina Nguyen
October 18, 2023

While the Republican establishment ostensibly wrestles over the obvious headaches of the day—defeating Biden in ’24, say, or praying that some House speaker candidate reaches 217 votes without totally humiliating the party—another political operation is taking place just out of sight. Or rather, two of them.