The White House tariff team undergoes a power reshuffle, with the hawkish Secretary of Commerce and trade advisors being marginalized

According to Politico, insiders close to the White House revealed that U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent now controls the overall trade situation. Meanwhile, trade advisor and populist Navarro has been marginalized, while Wall Street's "venting tube" Commerce Secretary Lutnick is being redefined as a "bad cop" (a strict and tough role). This reflects this week's turmoil surrounding Trump's trade policy and its shift towards the "fair trade" advocated by Bessent. A person close to Trump and Navarro said that this hawkish trader can still influence the president. Trump respects Navarro's radical populist ideas, but that doesn't mean he is in a core position. Another person said that the White House believes it can use Lutnick’s difficult character to play a role in negotiations. The role change occurred during a tug-of-war between fair-trade camps within the White House and protectionist camps. A former official of the Trump administration stated, “Trump likes to create chaos first, then calm down, then create chaos again, restore calmness just for unpredictability.” This state also exists among Trump’s inner circle where various forces constantly enter and exit their sphere of influence. Although internal struggles common in his first term have largely disappeared in his second term, changes in tariff policy leadership remind people that power struggles and competition for influence are not over yet.