Donald Trump’s Air Force One passenger list has offered a glimpse of the people closest to the president as he travels across the United States seeking to help Republicans retain control of Congress.
The entourage accompanying him during his midterm campaign blitz has included senior Cabinet officials, political strategists, aides who shape his speeches and ideas, members of Congress and a succession of high-profile sports and entertainment figures.
David Cohen, a political science professor at the University of Akron, said the travelling group could indicate the president’s priorities and whose advice he values.
“Who he surrounds himself with are the people he is going to be listening to,” Mr Cohen said. “They’re the ones who are going to be whispering in his ear and talking softly in private quarters to the president of the United States.”
The senior figures travelling with Trump
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been a regular presence on the aircraft. Ms Wiles, who recently completed treatment for breast cancer, co-managed Mr Trump’s 2024 campaign and has been described by the president as the “most powerful woman in the world”.
After Mr Trump’s 15th rally in 20 days, she gave reporters a brief assessment as she walked along the aircraft. “Great,” she said. “They’ve all been great, honestly.”
Other senior figures to have flown with the president include special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been seeking to negotiate an end to the Iran war, and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, the architect of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have also joined him.
The Cabinet member most often aboard has been Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, a billionaire and former head of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald who has known Mr Trump since the 1990s.
Mr Lutnick frequently laughs at the president’s jokes and uses rallies to highlight new factory investments, which Mr Trump presents as evidence that the economy is performing well.
Officials with influence beyond their formal titles
Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has accompanied Mr Trump on at least five legs of the campaign tour. His frequent presence suggests an influence inside the administration that extends beyond his official position.
Mr Pulte, the heir to a homebuilding company, is a Trump ally who briefly served as acting director of national intelligence. He has led pressure campaigns against Federal Reserve officials including Jerome Powell and Lisa Cook, and promoted a proposal to extend 30-year mortgages to 50 years, an idea that has since been abandoned.
Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr also travelled with Mr Trump during a lengthy West Coast trip on October 13 and 14. Mr Carr has used his regulatory powers over broadcast networks to criticise their coverage of the president.
Aides, speechwriters and campaign strategists
Natalie Harp, an executive assistant, has been on most of Mr Trump’s trips. Walt Nauta, director of Oval Office Operations, and his deputy, Chamberlain Harris, have also accumulated substantial miles travelling with the president.
Ms Harris is additionally a member of the Commission of Fine Arts, which has a role in reviewing the proposed White House ballroom and other construction projects associated with Mr Trump.
Speechwriting director Ross Worthington has repeatedly joined the president this month, despite Mr Trump’s preference for ad-libbing. The president’s rally speech has included a promise of 5,000-dollar cheques if Republicans retain their majorities in the House and Senate after the November 3 election.
Communications adviser Margo Martin, who posts videos of Mr Trump on social media, and White House communications director Steven Cheung have also accompanied him. Katie Zacharia, who served as White House press secretary for five days, spent two of those days travelling with Mr Trump on a trip through Alaska, Nevada, Arizona and Montana.
Political strategists on the aircraft have included Matt Brasseaux, the president’s political director and a former Republican National Committee official, as well as Johnny DeStefano and former White House deputy chief of staff James Blair.
Mr DeStefano, a senior aide during Mr Trump’s first term, temporarily returned to the White House during the summer to work on midterm strategy.
Boxing champions and other celebrity passengers
Mr Trump has used celebrity appearances to add star power to rallies during what could be difficult midterm contests. Former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Evander Holyfield have each flown with him, though Tyson and Holyfield were not aboard at the same time.
The two men fought for the heavyweight title in 1997, when Tyson bit part of Holyfield’s right ear.
Retired NASCAR champion Richard Petty travelled with the president to North Carolina, while former NFL coach Jon Gruden joined him in Ohio and retired NFL running back Todd Gurley travelled to Georgia. Jake Paul, an influencer-turned-boxer, has also flown with Mr Trump.
On Sunday, Mr Cheung posted a video of himself interviewing rapper Nicki Minaj aboard Air Force One as it carried the president to a rally in Michigan. Ms Minaj praised Mr Trump, with the White House seeking to have a celebrity accompany him at each stop on the tour.
Martha Kumar, a professor at Towson University, said presidential travel during a campaign could be intense, making familiar companions valuable.
“You want to have people around you that make you feel comfortable,” she said. “When you think about it, it is really stressful. You want some relief.”
Republican lawmakers join the campaign tour
Several lawmakers have also travelled with Mr Trump as he tries to protect Republican control of Congress.
Jeff Freeland, the White House liaison with the House, has accompanied multiple legislators. Those passengers have included South Carolina Representative William Timmons, Texas Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Brandon Gill, Georgia Representative Brian Jack, North Carolina Representative Tim Moore and Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna.
John Barrasso, the second-ranking Republican senator from Wyoming, has flown with Mr Trump several times this month. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has also travelled with him as he considers a presidential bid in 2028.
