TIME

THE INNER CIRCLE OF TRUMP’S INNER CIRCLE

IN THE FINAL DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION, DONALD TRUMP’S top aides huddled in hushed meetings in New York City and a cookie-cutter federal building near the White House to struggle over a key unsettled question: Who exactly would have access to the new President once he moves into the White House?

The businessman turned politician spent weeks after the election playing host to a large and diverse set of visitors, from 1980s celebrities to Kanye West to corporate CEOs to politicians of all stripes. At the same time, he has maintained an open-door policy for top aides, resisting efforts by staff and even his wife to curtail phone calls at all hours.

More often than not, this

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