WASHINGTON – Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who once viewed President Trump as a “clown,” is now reportedly speaking with him “most nights,” according to insights from magazine writers.
Back in 2016, Lutnick made some less-than-flattering remarks about Trump to his friends and supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during that election cycle.
Fast forward to today, and “Lutnick and President Donald Trump chat on the phone most nights after Lutnick has gone to bed,” Hitchens notes.
They discuss “real things,” like tariffs concerning Canada, which Lutnick described as akin to a “sports event,” according to the writer.
Trump, now 79, is known for having little sleep and maintaining an open line with journalists and others who possess his private number. There’s a bit of uncertainty around whether Lutnick, who is 64, or Trump initiates these late-night calls.
This year, Lutnick, the former CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, and his wife Allison bought a Washington home from ex-Fox News anchor Bret Baier for $25 million. The house showcases artworks by prominent artists like Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning.
“I filmed with Lutnick at various events. As spring turned to summer in Washington, he found himself in a situation where someone asked if he could help them out,” Hitchens explains, touching on Trump’s involvement in the ongoing trade conflict and his aim to be a significant Commerce Secretary, perhaps even more so than Herbert Hoover was in the 1920s.
The magazine also highlights that despite their great wealth, Lutnick and Trump “have never been granted access to the elite Manhattan Circle.”
A source close to Lutnick shared with Hitchens, “Does this ring a bell? It’s very similar to Trump’s situation. In the heartland, people think, ‘Wow, he’s really wealthy, he’s got a gold car, and he’s very successful.’ But at a New York cocktail party, the reaction is often more like, ‘Who on earth is this guy?'”
