White House runs secret Cabinet travel game

Chief of Staff Susie Wiles meets daily with a presidential assistant to track which Cabinet secretaries are visiting swing districts and competitive states. The informal competition encourages officials to campaign for Republicans ahead of the midterms.

Cabinet members fear losing points for blue cities

A Cabinet secretary declined a Manhattan event partly out of fear of being docked points for visiting a solidly Democratic area. White House officials later clarified that no one loses points, and media appearances still count.

Seven or eight Cabinet members on the road daily

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration had seven or eight Cabinet secretaries traveling to targeted districts on a single day. The formal competition ran from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with rumors of a dinner with the president as a prize.

“I think we have seven or eight of them out on the road in targeted districts just today.”

Strategy focuses on local media over national press

Cabinet officials are encouraged to appear with members of Congress and do local media interviews in competitive districts. The thinking is that local press coverage is more valuable than national outlets in Washington for driving Trump's message.

Wiles told agencies to skip international travel

In February, Chief of Staff Wiles instructed agency heads to limit international travel so they could focus on helping Republicans win midterm elections. The president would do the same, she said, spending every other week campaigning.

Kristi Noem pushed out for wrong travel

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was removed partly because of images showing her on a camel in Bahrain and horseback riding in Argentina and South Dakota, areas with no competitive midterm races. The White House expected Cabinet members to prioritize campaign travel.

“They know not to take 10-day-long vacations in Wyoming. The president is working all the time, and he expects them to as well.”

Texas leads with 46 Cabinet visits

The White House tracked 265 visits to 13 competitive states over three months. Texas led with 46 visits, followed by Pennsylvania with 42 and New York with 40, where Republicans are fighting for Senate seats and House districts.

Kelly Loeffler wins the travel competition

Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler took at least 18 trips to competitive states, including multiple stops in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. She leads the unofficial Cabinet travel rankings by a significant margin.

Rollins, Sonderling, Kennedy close behind

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins took at least 17 competitive trips, Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling at least 15, and both Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at least 10 each. Some Cabinet members' jobs limit their travel opportunities.

Rubio stays focused on overseas duties

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not taken any documented midterm-related trips since his confirmation, instead clocking thousands of miles overseas. His position as the nation's top diplomat limits his domestic campaign availability.

Hatch Act violations raise legal concerns

Democrats and watchdog groups have accused Trump officials of violating the Hatch Act, a 1939 law limiting federal employees from engaging in certain political activities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under intense criticism for blurring personal and government travel.

Bush administration ran similar travel tracking

Two decades ago, President George W. Bush's staff tracked Cabinet travel before the 2006 midterms and offered incentives to federal employees who volunteered in battleground races. The Office of Special Counsel later condemned the operation for violating the Hatch Act.

Bush's tracker sparked friendly competition

The Republican National Committee kept an Administration Tracker spreadsheet logging political appointees' travel to targeted races. An investigation found the tracking system spurred a friendly competition that was part of electioneering proscribed by the Hatch Act.

Trump fired the Hatch Act watchdog

Trump fired the head of the Office of Special Counsel when he returned to office. The Hatch Act has not been enforced against senior Trump administration officials since then, despite complaints from watchdog groups about apparent violations.

Hegseth campaigns for primary challenger

In May, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared in Kentucky alongside Ed Gallrein, who challenged Representative Thomas Massie in the Republican primary. Hegseth claimed he attended in his personal capacity, but also appeared at Fort Campbell that day in his official capacity awarding Purple Hearts.

Hegseth endorses candidate at Iowa State Fair

In August, Hegseth appeared at the Iowa State Fair alongside Representative Zach Nunn, where he endorsed Nunn's reelection bid and praised him as an ally of the Pentagon and president. Hegseth declared he was only there in a personal capacity.

“According to the lawyers, I'm only here in a personal capacity.”

Rollins touts labor reforms in competitive states

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins traveled to North Carolina to tout labor reforms, joined a Georgia radio interview with a Republican candidate, and appeared at the Iowa State Fair defending Trump's beef import decision. All three states have competitive Senate races.

Cabinet spreads Trump message to key states

Energy Secretary Chris Wright traveled to Alaska to deliver thanks for oil exports, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins visited Virginia Beach and Michigan to meet with veterans. Cabinet officials tailor their messages to specific audiences in competitive areas.

Cabinet understands their singular mission

The Cabinet travel competition shows that agency chiefs understand their role is to spread Trump's doctrine to purple battlegrounds. They are eager to comply with the White House's expectations for campaign travel.