One of Donald Trump’s Cabinet members exploited the absence of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to get the president to sign off on a job for one of his friends.
According to a report from PunchUp’s Tom Latchem, Wiles, who dictates who sees the president and who gets iced out, found out about the appointment of the unqualified Richard “Lance” Schroyer to head up ICE the same way the rest of the country did — via a post on Truth Social.
Markwayne Mullin, the DHS secretary, capitalized on a Saturday when Trump’s senior team was absent from the White House. Mullin visited the president on June 27 to advocate for his longtime associate Schroyer to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to Latchem, Wiles was busy attending her daughter Caroline’s wedding in Charlottesville, Virginia, and White House adviser Stephen Miller, Trump’s immigration policy lead, and Tom Homan, the border czar, were also not present for the meeting.
Trump announced Schroyer’s nomination via Truth Social on June 27, “blindsiding” multiple senior officials who learned of the decision through the president’s social media post rather than internal channels.
Schroyer, 54, has faced significant backlash since the announcement over questions about his qualifications to lead such a large agency. Critics have noted he was selected primarily because of his longstanding relationship with Mullin,” the report notes.
The 54-year-old senior adviser to Mullin has drawn scrutiny for his limited experience and background. Reports identified concerns about his resume and alleged past disputes over child support obligations.
A White House spokesperson defended the process, stating Trump “has always been the decision maker on who he nominates for vacancies in the Administration” and denied the team had been “blindsided.”
Schroyer remains unconfirmed in the role. The House is currently in recess, and no hearing date has been scheduled. Trump’s formal nomination paperwork reached the Senate on July 20. Schroyer would replace Todd Lyons, who departed in May. No ICE director has been confirmed since 2017.