Howard Lutnick, a trusted confidant of President Donald Trump and a prominent figure as the Commerce Secretary, is currently facing intense scrutiny. A recent report has criticized Lutnick for his confrontational and often exclusionary interactions with his colleagues, raising questions about his leadership style.

At 64, Lutnick is well-known as the former CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and for his fundraising efforts for Hillary Clinton. However, his past has come under examination once again as lawmakers on Capitol Hill have questioned him regarding a 2012 visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous island, which he made with his wife and children. This revelation emerged after the Department of Justice released documents that contradicted Lutnick’s previous assertions that he severed ties with Epstein years earlier.

The controversy surrounding Lutnick’s connection to Epstein has sparked bipartisan demands for his resignation. However, the turmoil surrounding his leadership extends beyond this incident, as his conduct within the White House is also drawing criticism.

Within the Trump administration, Lutnick’s approach has ruffled feathers. According to one official, during meetings, Lutnick has a tendency to dominate conversations, often shouting over those who present differing perspectives or alternative solutions. This approach has not endeared him to his colleagues.

Additionally, another administration official noted Lutnick’s tendency to centralize information, imposing strict confidentiality measures on senior aides, effectively placing them under ‘gag orders.’ This penchant for secrecy has further fueled discontent within the ranks, complicating his position in the administration.

Another official commented on Lutnick’s proclivity to keep information tightly guarded and centralized, keeping top aides under ‘gag orders.’ 

‘No one’s allowed to talk to the interagency without Howard giving explicit approval,’ the admin official told the outlet. ‘Even when his staff show up to meetings at the White House, they’re under a gag order, and they literally just say, “Hi, I don’t have a position from the Secretary on this, so Commerce has no position at this time.”‘

Some who have worked with the Commerce secretary shared that he does not leave room for dissenting views, and several sources noted the department’s higher-than-usual turnover, with some staff hinting at issues with the work culture.   

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is known to raise his voice at meetings and silence dissent, Trump administration officials told POLITICO

Lutnick has been one of the president’s closest allies among his Cabinet members. He is often seen by Trump’s side at various events, and the two have maintained a decades-long relationship

‘Lutnick is sometimes very helpful and sometimes an annoyance,’ another source shared. 

‘In terms of the general workings, there’s a ton of frustration with how things are running at Commerce across not just the White House, but the broader interagency.’

Though some have been supportive of Lutnick, including Trump’s first-term Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.  

‘I think he continues to be very close to the President, and undoubtedly speaks with him an awful lot, and is listened to a lot,’ Ross told the Daily Mail in an interview. 

‘You notice he’s at Trump’s side at all of these events,’ he added. 

Lutnick was last by Trump’s side – directly over his shoulder – last Friday, when the president held a last-minute press conference at the White House to address the Supreme Court’s ruling on his tariff plans. 

But while he’s become a cog in the president’s tariff machine, he’s also been used by the administration to tout the program’s benefits. Lutnick has used the hammer that is Trump’s tariffs to negotiate trade deals with the European Union, Japan and Taiwan. 

He has also been tasked by Trump to lock down trade deals central to the plan, providing the president political ammo to brag about bringing in trillions in new investments. 

Some are doubtful about the amount of money Lutnick and Trump have claimed to raise in new investments

Though some warn the nearly $20 trillion in new investments celebrated by Trump should be questioned. 

‘The reality is that only a small fraction of that [promised sum] has any specifics behind it and can really be considered new investment,’ Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute told POLITICO. 

‘So the rest of it is just repackaged stuff that they were already going to do, or stuff that’s related to the AI boom and has almost nothing to do with tariffs.’

Still, the White House says Lutnick has the president’s full support. 

Lutnick ‘has been the most transformative Commerce Secretary in modern history and is a champion of the President’s America First trade and tariffs policies,’ White House spokesman Kush Desai said.