White House Bracing for More Staffers to Quit Ahead of Midterm Elections: Insider

President Donald Trump's inner circle is tightening as a growing wave of senior officials and high-profile aides resign from the administration ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

According to a Bloomberg News report, the White House is bracing for additional departures in the coming months.

This trend leaves the president increasingly reliant on a diminished core group of advisers at a time when the administration faces a complex array of domestic and foreign policy hurdles.

A large number of staff have recently cycled out of the executive branch.

Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary and trusted Trump defender, stepped down at the end of August to focus on her young family. She will transition to a role at the MAGA Inc. super PAC and act as an outside adviser.

James Braid, White House Director of Legislative Affairs and crucial liaison to Capitol Hill, has also announced his departure.

David Warrington, White House Counsel and top legal adviser, has vacated his post, and Deputy National Security Adviser Andy Baker, who was heavily involved in Middle East negotiations and the ongoing conflict in Iran, has exited the administration.

Others who have left the White House recently include Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson, Special Assistant to the President Lea Bardon, Director of Cabinet Affairs Emily Underwood, an advisor to Stephen Miller, and Director of Media Affairs Sonny Joy Nelson.

Over the course of 2026, the administration has also seen the departures of major figures such as Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

While personnel shifts are common practice leading up to major elections, the sudden vacuum of top-tier communications, legal and national security advisers has complicated the administration's planning.

Data tracked by the Brookings Institution notes that Trump's second administration had already shed roughly 32 percent of its core "A-Team" staff as of early 2026 — a level higher than average for most recent U.S. presidents.

The staff exodus arrives alongside substantial administrative friction. Insiders report heightened internal tensions as the administration navigates a difficult economic landscape marked by an ongoing trade war with Canada, continuous foreign military commitments, and historically low public approval ratings.

Additionally, departing the administration now allows outgoing officials to secure private-sector roles and distance themselves from potential Capitol Hill investigations if the congressional majorities flip in November.

“This also is, without question, the hardest time to hire into an administration,” former RNC communications director Lisa Camooso Miller told Bloomberg. “The real question is, who’s going to fill these roles? Will they be the right people, and will they be people that the president listens to? It’s not so much about the vacancies, but who’s willing to go into the second two years of an administration that largely will face headwinds with a change in Congress.”