Trump transition memo urges nominees not to post on social media

A top aide to President-elect Trump is reportedly cautioning his picks for Cabinet positions to avoid posting on social media ahead of hearings in the Senate as Trump’s team seeks to avoid unnecessary controversies.

Incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles wrote in a memo, which was first reported on by The New York Post, that all of Trump’s nominees should avoid making public social media posts without obtaining approval from the incoming White House counsel, David Warrington.

“While this instruction has been delivered previously, I am reiterating that no member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself,” Wiles wrote in the memo.

Spokespeople for Trump’s transition team did not respond to requests for comment on the memo.

The Senate is expected to begin holding confirmation hearings for some of Trump’s Cabinet nominees in the coming weeks. The Senate Armed Services Committee is slated to hold a hearing for Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on Jan. 14, six days before Trump is inaugurated.

The nominees have largely avoided posting on social media since being tapped for various roles. Most nominees have only posted updates about meetings with senators as they seek to build support, and Hegseth posted about fighting for the job after his nomination appeared imperiled amid misconduct allegations.

The memo was circulated days after Trump’s allies got into a social media spat over H-1B work visas, pitting figures like Elon Musk against Steve Bannon. Musk, the billionaire owner of the social platform X who was tasked with leading an advisory commission on government spending, has been active on social media throughout Trump's transition.