Trump World and RFK Peeved by Transition Co-Chair’s CNN Interview

THE CO-CHAIR OF DONALD TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM turned heads this week when he questioned vaccines and discussed the controversy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role in a future administration.

Inside Trump world, that appearance by Howard Lutnick on CNN set off fireworks as well.

Allies of Kennedy were left displeased that Lutnick had stated on air that the Democratic presidential candidate-turned-MAGA disciple would not be getting a cabinet level post. Meanwhile, Trump allies felt that Lutnick had freelanced too much by suggesting the ex-president could be okay with banning long-approved vaccines. They were similarly dismayed that Lutnick had decided to casually discuss a presidential transition and appointees just six days before Election Day, worried that it sent the wrong message to the public.

Their displeasure morphed into pain when they saw the unflattering headlines the next day in the New York Post and the New York Times, which hold preeminent places in the mind of Trump and therefore the campaign. Now, the knives are coming out for Lutnick, a billionaire financier whose business acumen outmatches his Trump world emotional IQ.

“What the hell is a transition chair publicly talking about all this stuff before we even win?” huffed one Trump campaign adviser, one of five who spoke on condition of anonymity for this story to express their frustration and describe internal discussions.

“Lutnick cut Bobby’s legs out from under him. He’s talking about all this stuff,” the adviser said. “We need to be focused on the election. Period.”

The internal complaints about Lutnick, 63, haven’t yet reached a boiling point in Trump world, the sources say, noting that his position helping run the transition remains firm, as does a possible spot as Treasury secretary. They dismissed the CNN interview as a one-off. But Trump, who has a reputation for undercutting advisers privately while publicly standing by them, has told people to not take everything Lutnick says as gospel.

“I make the decisions,” Trump told one person in a discussion about Lutnick’s influence, which has been interpreted as a sign of him trying to create distance.

The blowback over Lutnick’s CNN appearance is the latest episode in what has been a rocky end to the campaign as the election comes to a close. Trump aides have been forced to deal with the fallout of last week’s Madison Square Garden rally, in which a number of speakers made offensive remarks from the stage. And Trump himself sparked a tiff with Liz Cheney on Thursday when he mused about her being shot at it because she’s a “war hawk.” 

Lutnick’s CNN interview led to a series of discussions Thursday and at least one meeting between him and Kennedy to clear the air, the sources said. One source indicated the two patched things up, but two others said Kennedy remains annoyed. Neither man nor their spokespeople could be reached for comment.

Kennedy had signaled just days before Lutnick’s appearance that he might want to be appointed secretary of health and human services to prioritize his “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. That would have RFK Jr. overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services—the federal department with the largest budget—and its important health, regulatory, and research agencies.

“President Trump has promised me . . . control of the public health agencies, which are HHS and its sub-agencies, CDC, FDA, NIH and a few others, and then also the USDA,” Kennedy said Monday, according to a video obtained by CNN. “Because we’ve got to get off of seed oils, and we’ve got to get off of pesticide intensive agriculture.”

But in his appearance on CNN’s The Source, Lutnick was definitive. 

“He’s not getting a job for HHS,” he told host Kaitlan Collins, who had been pressing Lutnick on RFK Jr.’s longstanding history as a leading vaccine skeptic.

“He would not be in charge of HHS?” Collins followed up.

“No,” Lutnick said, “of course not.”

While Kennedy was upset about Lutnick’s closing of the door, in reality Trump advisers say they see him as probably best suited for a multi-agency czar-like role where he would not have to go through a difficult Senate confirmation and could marshal resources in multiple departments concerning food, vaccines, and childhood disease policy. Still, Lutnick’s statement was not one authorized by the campaign where, according to Semafor, some aides have an “appetite” for a fight over Kennedy’s appointment.

“Lutnick got over his skis,” a Trump adviser told The Bulwark. “He’s new around here.”

Kennedy himself has seemed to recognize that HHS may not ultimately be in the cards. ABC reported Friday that he recommended another vaccine skeptic, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, for the secretary post. 

As for Trump’s preference, hours after Kennedy and Lutnick met to clear the air, the former president indicated Thursday night that RFK can chart his own course in a future administration.

“He can do anything he wants. He wants to look at the vaccines . . . I want him to work on health,” Trump said of Kennedy at an Arizona event moderated by conservative influencer Tucker Carlson.

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ON FRIDAY, KENNEDY JOINED TRUMP on the campaign trail in Michigan, where the former president promised RFK would have a “big role,” which he wouldn’t specify.

Some campaign insiders said it was an accident that Lutnick wound up on CNN in the first place. Until that interview, the Cantor Fitzgerald CEO had won regular praise from Trump and those in his orbit for his frequent appearances on CNBC, where he spoke with authority about financial and economic issues.

A big donor and fundraiser, Lutnick began supporting Trump this cycle with a $15 million fundraiser. Trump soon tapped him to help his transition with Linda McMahon, who led the Small Business Administration during the first two years of his administration. McMahon handles the policy side of the transition and Lutnick is in charge of personnel.

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But where McMahon largely stays out of the limelight, the gregarious Lutnick is drawn to it. He hasn’t just appeared as a surrogate on TV, Trump gave Lutnick a role Sunday at the controversial Madison Square Garden rally.

“It was not on my bucket list, okay. People like me do not get to play Madison Square Garden! This place rocks!” Lutnick said in his high-energy speech, during which he talked about the Cantor Fitzgerald employees who were killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

“We must elect Donald Trump because we must crush jihad!” he said, pumping his fists as the crowd cheered.

Lutnick took the stage with billionaire Elon Musk. The two spoke of their plans to create what they call the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to Musk’s cryptocurrency. Lutnick asked Musk how much government spending they could cut, prompting Musk to promise $2 trillion in reductions.

“Yeah!” Lutnick yelled as he pumped his fist more.

Lutnick’s enthusiasm isn’t just reserved for his onstage appearances. In private meetings, he has a penchant for shaking every hand and backslapping. It’s all a bit much for some longtime Trump advisers, who say Lutnick runs the risk of appearing as if his newfound political relevance has gone to his head. One Trump adviser compared him to Anthony Scaramucci, the flashy financier who went from Trump backer to vociferous critic after his ill-fated, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it time in the White House.

“Lutnick is like Scaramucci but with real money,” the adviser said.

A Lutnick backer in Trump’s camp dismissed some of the criticism as envy because of his access to Trump, his transition role, and his large media footprint, which included an in-depth Wall Street Journal profile Thursday. Others were left wondering how long Lutnick would last.

“Howard is a self-made billionaire and he’s a fighter and he knows finance,” an insider who has spoken with Lutnick said. “But this is a different world. The brightest meteors flame out the fastest at Mar-a-Lago.”