It takes all kinds to make the incoming Trump administration. You have now former Rep. Matt Gaetz, investigated but never charged on allegations of sex trafficking, the anti-China and Iran hardliner Rep. Mike Waltz, the easy-on-the-eyes TV personality Pete Hegseth, and onetime Assad sympathizer Tulsi Gabbard.
The shared quality is loyalty, and the extreme demonstration of it: unending flattery of Trump.
In that respect, Sergio Gor fits right in.
Gor is on tap to lead the White House Personnel Office, which recruits and vets political appointees for the new administration.
After spending more than a decade as a staffer for hard-right congressional Republicans — Gor previously worked for former Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Steve King (R-IA), then for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) — Gor made a very MAGA move into Trumpworld, becoming a professional embosser and gilder of the Trump name.
In 2021, he founded a publishing company along with Donald Trump Jr. that sells a series of Trump-themed books that range in price from $74.99 to a “bundle pack” for $999.99.
Gor and Don Jr.’s company, Winning Team Publishing, sells three books authored by Trump. One features the famous image of Trump surrounded by Secret Service agents immediately after the July assassination attempt ($99, $499 for a signed copy); another, Letters for Trump ($99, $399 if signed), is advertised as “private correspondence, between President Donald J. Trump and some of the biggest names in history throughout the past 40 years!”
It’s an example of maximum MAGA adulation, a public demonstration of loyalty to and flattery of the new boss. There’s also access to the Trump bloodline: Don Jr. announced the news of Gor’s appointment on X after Semafor first reported it.
Other titles are from leading MAGA influencers. Kari Lake, the Arizona election denier and now-defeated gubernatorial and Senate candidate, is selling a book called “Unafraid” ($29.99, $49.99 signed). Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is selling “her personal account of the battles she fights in the halls of Congress” ($49.99 signed). Winning Team also sells MAGA merchandise like a miniature Trump bluetooth speaker ($29.99) and a standard MAGA baseball hat ($29.99).
Selling Trump’s name and likeness comes alongside other Gor endeavors. He ran a Super PAC, Right for America, that spent tens of millions of dollars during the election cycle. He’s been seen alongside Trump during meetings with the Bolsonaro family, and both officiated and DJ-ed attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz’s 2021 wedding.
Gor’s new job will nominally grant him immense influence within the new administration, though it’s unclear what level of independent-decision making power Gor, or any other appointee, will retain.
In February 2020, Trump appointed staffer Johnny McEntee to head the White House personnel office. From there, McEntee went about purging perceived as disloyal and replacing them with political appointees.
Gor didn’t immediately return TPM’s request for comment.
This story has been updated to more precisely describe PPO.
“Perceived as disloyal” is the new “fellow traveler”.
It’s grifters all the way down? And boy did Gor pick some winners to work for.
“Bundle Pack”. An apt name for the new cabinet/admin staff.
The incompetence is going to be mind blowing.
We’re about to be governed by a hastily-thrown together knock-off of the Trump corporation.