Trump allies assembled lists of officials considered disloyal to president: report

Allies of President Trump have reportedly been assembling lists of government officials deemed to be disloyal to the president and have worked to find pro-Trump replacements for them.

Axios reported Sunday that the lists, which have become more important since Trump’s acquittal in the Senate’s impeachment trial, have been assembled by allies of the president outside the White House, including Ginni Thomas, wife to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The lists and memos of targeted officials have been compiled since 2018, according to the news outlet. One list reportedly compiled by conservative activists of Groundswell, an organization with which Ginni Thomas is affiliated, contained a list of State Department employees who should be fired, including John Sullivan, the current U.S. ambassador to Russia.

At least one nomination for a top post at the Treasury Department, that of Jessie Liu, was withdrawn by the president over claims made by activists in memos reported by Axios, despite her recommendation for the post by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

It was unclear from the Axios report how many firings in the administration could be linked to the lists compiled by conservative activists, as Sullivan at least remains in his post. News of the memos comes as the president has taken a tougher stance against leaks and whistleblowers in his office since the end of his Senate trial, in recent days forcing out officials such as acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, as well as former national security council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who was involved in the impeachment inquiry. Vindman’s brother, who was not involved in the inquiry, was also ousted.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.