“I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.”
The quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt is well known to Donald Trump. He tweeted it on Nov. 21, 2012.
And in these early days of his second presidency, it is truer than ever.
Trump’s first three weeks are already littered with shellacked careers of people who dared to call him out.
With his loyal pit bull Kash Patel set to be confirmed as FBI director, the president’s enemies are bracing themselves for a 6 a.m. knock at the door.
But what about the famous names outside Trump’s immediate circle who can sleep safely at night? The former reality star has shown he can be fickle, especially if former allies turn on him. There is a price for crossing him and it can be severe.
Who are the untouchables? Melania and the kids need not worry; he thinks of himself as a proud family man. Other than the occasional affair, of course. He certainly wouldn’t do anything to hurt the Trump dynasty he is embedding. Take a bow, Ivanka. Barron, get in line.
For now, at least, the chosen ones in Trump’s Cabinet are the ones jangling the nerves of Trump’s foes. Kash Patel, RFK Jr., Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Kristi Noem, Scott Bessent, Marco Rubio.
They serve at his pleasure but they’re all safe…for now.
So, here are the famous 10 who are safe…and the 10 who famously are not.
SAFE: HUNTER BIDEN
It’s not like Trump doesn’t want to go after Biden’s troublesome son, but good old dad managed one last trick before he disappeared for good from the White House. Not only did he pardon Hunter on gun and tax charges he would almost certainly have served time for, but he also pardoned him for any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” So as long as Hunter keeps his nose clean, he’s good.
- NOT SAFE: Joe Biden didn’t just pardon his son, he granted clemency to 8,064 people during his presidency (way more than the 1700 Trump has pardoned since 2017 BTW). But he didn’t include himself. Big mistake. A blanket pardon would have been good, just in case. Even Trump thought he should have done it.
SAFE: MEL GIBSON
The Oscar-winning Braveheart star saw his reputation slide in Hollywood when he went on an antisemitic tirade after being arrested for allegedly driving under the influence near his Malibu home in 2006. It’s been a long road back for the one-time Aussie heartthrob, whose home was recently destroyed in the LA fires. But Trump loves a comeback. So much so that he made Gibson, 69, (and Sly Stallone and Jon Voigt) “Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California.”
- NOT SAFE: GEORGE CLOONEY backed two losing horses in the presidential race. He turned on Biden and urged him to quit after his disastrous debate and put his Tinseltown smile behind Kamala Harris. Trump wasn’t amused, calling Clooney a “fake actor, who never came close to making a great movie.” Not altogether fair, but Wolfs with Brad Putt is certainly a howler.
SAFE: KAROLINE LEAVITT
She’s packed a whole lot of MAGA in her 27 years, as an assistant press secretary in Trump’s first term, national press secretary for the 2024 campaign, and now in the top job as the face of the administration. She even squeezed in a run for the House in 2022. It’s not the easiest job and Trump ran through press secretaries like tan cream the first time around, but Leavitt is feisty and her parents owned an ice cream parlor. She won’t melt. But…
- NOT SAFE: STEPHANIE GRISHAM was one of those Trump press secretaries but made the unforgivable decision (in Trumpworld) to switch sides and support Kamala Harris. She also called Trump’s supporters “basement dwellers.” She resigned as Melania’s flak on Jan. 6, 2021 in the hours after the insurrection. Now she finds herself on Kash Patel’s infamous “enemies list.”
SAFE: TIGER WOODS
First of all, Trump absolutely loves golf and Woods is arguably the greatest golfer of all time. And it helps that he was involved in designing a Trump course in Dubai and a villa at Trump Miami is named after him. Before heading to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump fit in a round with Woods at the Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach. Tiger might get an early morning call—but only for a quick 18 holes before breakfast.
- NOT SAFE: LEBRON JAMES loudly supported Harris in the last election and had already nailed his colors to the mast, branding Trump a “bum” in 2017 and adding: “Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!” Slam dunk for Trump’s bad books.
SAFE: JOE ROGAN
Trump’s appearance on Rogan’s influential podcast was sold as playing a key role in winning the male blue-collar vote that Harris could never quite reach, especially after she bailed on Rogan. The podcaster is increasingly singing from Trump’s hymn sheet, criticizing the likes of the NYT, the Washington Post, and CNN as untrustworthy and saying the Democratic Party was spouting “nonsense” after its election debacle. Keep talking like that and he can sleep like a baby.
- NOT SAFE: HOWARD STERN was pals with Trump before the reality star became the real president. Trump was a regular on Stern’s show, but no more. Especially after accusing the shock jock of lobbing “softball” questions at Harris in an interview. Stern thought Trump was done. Well, heeere’s Johnny!
SAFE: ELON MUSK
Washington insiders are putting money on how long the bromance will last, but those closer to Trump say the odd couple are made for each other. The world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful have much in common. Both like settling scores, they barely sleep, they feel they have been maligned and they crave attention. Most importantly for Trump, Musk brings a blueprint for “who gives a F*** what people think” change. That’s the president’s language. If he has to pay extra cleaners to pick the occasional booger off the Resolute desk, so be it.
- NOT SAFE: REID HOFFMAN is buddies with Mark Zuckerberg but was conspicuous by his absence on Trump’s inauguration stage on January 20. The fact that LinkedIn’s co-founder supported Harris in 2024 and bankrolled a civil case against Trump may have had something to do with it.
SAFE: KID ROCK
Hard to imagine Trump blasting American Bad A** out of the White House Sonos but the president has an eclectic playlist on Air Force One so you never know. The hairy rocker has been there almost from the start for Trump and now he’s been seen cozying up to MAGA-mad Rep. Lauren Boebert. As long as Rock’s on board, the redneck vote is safe.
- NOT SAFE: TAYLOR SWIFT and Trump have a long history of social media feuding despite him once calling her “very beautiful actually—unusually beautiful.” It went downhill pretty quick as Swift urged her Swifties to back Biden and then Harris. Trump made his feelings clear, posting: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” Then he reposted her being booed at the Super Bowl. We’re guessing Anti-Hero is not on his playlist.
SAFE: JD VANCE
The vice president is safe as houses, at least until after the mid-terms. But his boss very obviously did not anoint him as his 2028 successor the other day. Word is that the president is dead set on the next president also being called Trump. Notwithstanding him blowing up the Constitution and running again, that could be Ivanka, or maybe even Don Jr. or Eric. It probably won’t be JD so it might be smart to keep one eye looking over his shoulder.
- NOT SAFE: KAMALA HARRIS never really went there during the election campaign. She tried to take the high ground and got her legs chopped away from her. Trump doesn’t get grace. He only understands winners. So, she’s on the list.
SAFE: DANA WHITE
He’s the Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO. Nobody’s going to mess with White and his relationship dates back more than 20 years when he hosted a UFC event at the president’s then casino-hotel in Atlantic City. Trump’s a fight fan and White has gone to bat for his friend in public and private, as have the likes of Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
- NOT SAFE: IMANE KHELIF. The Algerian boxer won gold at the Paris Olympics despite a gender eligibility dispute over her competing as a woman. Trump called her a “male boxer” when signing an executive order barring transgender women from female sports. Good luck to her getting into the country for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
SAFE: TONY HINCHCLIFFE
Trump refused to distance himself from the “roast” comedian after he described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at a MAGA rally at Madison Square Gardens days before the election. He also made a slew of gags involving racist stereotypes. If Trump didn’t drop him for that, he might as well give him the Presidential Medal of Freedom!
- NOT SAFE: JIMMY KIMMEL likes to riff on Trump on his late-night show. “Listen, the fact of the matter is Trump loves plastic. Most of his wives are made of plastic” is a recent example. Case closed.
