The last time Cliff Sims was this close to presidential power, he coined an indelible phrase for the cut-throat coterie around Donald Trump — it was a “Team of Vipers,” as he titled his 2019 tell-all.
Now a key member of the Trump transition, Sims is showing that he knows his way around the old snake pit.
After an aide put a folder of clips about Sims and his book on Trump’s desk, he exploded.
Yet as of Friday, Sims remains on the job — and could be in line for a plum administration post.
By Friday morning, the Trump transition had issued statements defending Sims from some of the biggest names in Trump’s orbit.
When Cliff Sims was this close to being president the last time, he created a memorable term for the ruthless group of people surrounding Donald Trump: a “Team of Vipers,” as he called his 2019 exposé.
Sims, a pivotal figure in the Trump transition, is demonstrating his familiarity with the old snake pit.
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That became evident in recent weeks when he became the focus of a Mar-a-Lago whisper campaign that coincided with annoyances over the wave of leaks from the transition. Some MAGA insiders who spoke to POLITICO questioned why a man who had openly depicted the Trump White House as a breeding ground for traitors and turf-warriors was attached to transition co-chair Howard Lutnick’s hip.
Sims’ presence came to a head this week with Trump, who had only dimly recognized him in transition meetings and requested additional details about his background, according to two prominent Republicans who were given anonymity to speak candidly for the purposes of this story. Trump lost it when an aide placed a folder containing video clips about Sims and his book on his desk.
One of the people with knowledge of the altercation said Trump was “beyond pissed” and insisted on his removal.
Sims is still working as of Friday, though, and may be considered for a plum administration position.
Sims was contacted by POLITICO regarding the incident late on Thursday evening. By Friday morning, the Trump transition had released statements from some of the most prominent figures in Trump’s inner circle supporting Sims.
Vice President-elect JD Vance stated, “The people who deny Cliff’s leak are the true leakers and the enemies of President Trump and the American people.”.
Donald Trump Jr. claimed that Cliff was the most responsible person in the process when it came to handling sensitive information.
“The greatest Transition in American history is still being built in large part by Cliff Sims,” Lutnick stated.
According to Susie Wiles, Trump’s top political adviser and potential White House chief of staff, “He’s doing a terrific job and has my total trust and confidence.”. “Those who assert otherwise are just out of the loop. “.”.
A person close to Sims denied he had been leaking and refuted the folder story, but Sims chose not to comment.
As people close to the former and future president compete for positions and authority, the episode shows how Trump’s comparatively orderly campaign has given way to a much more chaotic and stereotypically Trumpian transition.
As an aide to Lutnick, who has been the target of internal complaints regarding conflicts of interest, Sims has been attending meetings and contributing significantly to the White House staffing up. Sims was CIA Director-designate John Ratcliffe’s top deputy for communications and strategy during his tenure as director of national intelligence in 2020, and the two have a particularly close relationship.
According to Trump insiders POLITICO spoke with, the high-level position confused them. They felt that he had violated confidences with his 2019 book, and they recalled how Trump had publicly criticized him for it. They hypothesized that his involvement might backfire on Lutnick, who has been quietly pushing for the position of Treasury secretary.
In actuality, Sims had long since reintegrated into MAGA after continuing to be friends with Donald Trump Jr. and other prominent Republicans. In addition to being a key aide to Ratcliffe, he also advised Vance during this year’s campaign and oversaw the writing of speeches for the 2020 and 2024 GOP conventions.
However, Sims sued the then-president in 2019 after the Trump campaign attempted to enforce a nondisclosure agreement, so it is unclear whether Trump cleared Sims’ high-level involvement.
“I’d love to have him working for me again in any number of roles if I’m fortunate enough to be confirmed again by the Senate,” Ratcliffe said in a statement.
If not, Sims could at least get a follow-up.
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