Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a key figure in President Donald Trump’s economic team, is reportedly stirring confusion and frustration across the business community—and even within the White House itself—as his behavior and policy stances raise eyebrows among allies and executives alike.
Lutnick, known for helping shape the Trump administration’s controversial tariff policy, is now at the center of growing discontent. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing around a dozen sources, the secretary has “browbeaten” business leaders during meetings, taken “contradictory” positions on trade exemptions, and left senior officials “exasperated” after engagements.
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“Frustration with him is spilling into public view,” the report noted, as financial markets reel from policy instability and mixed messaging. Lutnick’s aggressive promotion of tariffs—often without clear direction—has led to growing concerns within both corporate circles and the administration.
Even President Trump appears to be losing patience. “Trump has asked why Lutnick is at the White House so often, and he has grown frustrated with his commerce secretary at times, advisers said, particularly when Lutnick grows emotional in White House meetings,” the Journal reported. One adviser remarked that Lutnick is at the White House “more than any other cabinet secretary.”
Adding to internal tensions is Lutnick’s tendency to present bold, unvetted ideas directly to the president. One such example reportedly stunned White House staff: a proposal to eliminate income taxes for individuals earning under $150,000 annually. While ambitious, the idea was floated without prior analysis or inter-agency coordination.
Another incident that caught aides off guard occurred in February when Lutnick declared on Fox News that the Trump administration intended to “abolish the Internal Revenue Service.” The comments, made in the middle of tax season, left several officials scrambling.
“Several Trump aides said Lutnick hadn’t seemed to think through how the public might interpret the commerce secretary calling for the closing of the IRS,” the report stated. Despite the growing whispers of discontent behind the scenes, the White House continues to support Lutnick publicly.
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“Secretary Lutnick has always been a staunch defender of President Trump’s America First agenda, and his immensely successful private-sector career makes him an integral member of and communicator for the President’s trade and economic team,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai.
“The entire Trump administration is playing from the same playbook—President Trump’s playbook—to restore American Greatness from Main Street to Wall Street.” As economic uncertainty grows, how long this internal loyalty holds remains to be seen.
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