And in a city that has largely shunned them - dating app profiles here often declare an unwillingness to meet Trump’s supporters, let alone his aides - Trump’s young aides have formed an insular social scene. But, in a reflection of his outsider campaign, Trump’s hires often came from outside the traditional feeding grounds of Republican politics. Bush rode into town with a clubby, multi-generational political network that was heavy on the GOP establishment. Barack Obama’s young staffers were the toast of Washington, and George W. While it is common for veterans of presidential campaigns and administrations to form alumni groups, the 45 Club has taken on an outsized role as a refuge for junior operatives and appointees who have few connections in the capital. “In this political climate, there’s a lot of people who would not have pure intentions of coming to network,” explained a former campaign staffer familiar with the club. Not quite a secret society, the club nonetheless goes to some lengths to fly under the radar: Public hints of its existence are scarce, and the locations of its events are withheld from attendees until they RSVP, all the better to evade the notice of pesky activists and nosy reporters. Its operations, described here for the first time, offer insight into how the anonymous foot soldiers of Trump’s Washington have organized their social lives: discreetly, with an eye toward exclusivity and the aspirational lifestyle that has always marked the Trump brand. 45 caliber bullet casing and attend semi-regular gatherings that often feature remarks by better-known Trump-world figures such as Brad Parscale, Corey Lewandowski and Scaramucci. Members wear a lapel pin fashioned after the butt end of a. The club, an informal gathering that provides solidarity and networking opportunities in a hostile Washington, is open to what it calls “the Team” - Trump administration appointees as well as alumni of the campaign, transition and inaugural committee.
The occasion was a meetup of the 45 Club, a private group reserved exclusively for President Donald Trump’s current and former staffers.