White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is ushering in a new era of lobbying protocols at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., reportedly requiring staff to receive prior approval if they want to meet with a lobbyist.
Mr. Miller’s office issued a memo requiring White House staff to get prior approval from the Office of White House Counsel before meeting with registered lobbyists on government policy inside the White House complex.
Staff is instructed to refer lobbyist requests to the Office of Public Liaison, which the memo says will remain the primary point of contact for external stakeholders.
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“No president in history has fought more relentlessly, selflessly or courageously for the American people than President Trump. Following his example, White House staff are expected to dedicate their time unwaveringly to the working people of the nation,” the memo read, according to multiple reports.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the president’s loyalty is to the American people, not lobbyists.
“His team is dedicated to advancing the President’s agenda, not the agenda of D.C. lobbyists,” he said. “All of the White House components continue to work in lockstep to implement President Trump’s America First agenda.”
The memo comes days after Mr. Miller replaced Susie Wiles as chief of staff.
The change also came the same day Calley Means, a former senior adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released an interview accusing top White House officials of catering to special interests. Mr. Means resigned Oct. 22.
In an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Mr. Means accused Ms. Wiles of yielding to pressure from industry lobbyists and prioritizing political fundraising over Americans’ health.
Ms. Wiles was a registered lobbyist from 2017 to 2024, according to federal disclosures reviewed by the watchdog group Public Citizen, and previously lobbied for Ballard Partners.
He accused Ms. Wiles of yielding to pressure from industry lobbyists, including the sugar, vaping, ultra-processed food and pesticide industries, while prioritizing campaign fundraising for the midterm elections.
He quoted Ms. Wiles as saying, “We need money for the midterms, Calley.”
Ms. Wiles’s spokesperson called the accusations “outrageous, defamatory, and provably false.” James Blair, Ms. Wiles’ former deputy, denied promoting flavored vaping.
Mr. Means said he left the administration over delays in releasing a federal definition of ultra-processed foods and new school lunch standards, and he urged Mr. Trump to “clear house.”
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