Overview
- Politico reported Wednesday that at a February meeting at the Capitol Hill Club, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Cabinet officials any international trip now requires her approval.
- Wiles urged Cabinet leaders to keep foreign travel to a minimum and to focus on voter outreach at home as the midterm elections near.
- Trip requests now run through the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs, with international travel handled on a case-by-case basis, according to people familiar with the process.
- The shift followed scrutiny of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ 2025 itinerary, though a USDA spokesperson says she ultimately traveled only to the U.K., Italy, and Mexico.
- Outlets noted the political backdrop of tariff backlash, fallout from federal agents’ actions, and the war with Iran, pressures that raised concern over optics and message discipline.