Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs PALM BEACH, Florida — The number of individuals with direct access to the president will be more limited when Donald Trump takes office in two weeks, as incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles seeks to streamline the new West Wing operation.In an effort to tighten the lines of communication with Trump, the transition team is cutting back on the number of top White House staff given the designation of “Assistant to the President,” which provides a staffer the privileges to walk into the Oval Office and bring non-staff guests in to meet with the president. “There will be a limited number of Assistants to the President,” said a person familiar with the transition. Trump’s newly named legislative affairs director and political affairs director are among those not given the title; those positions typically have that designation. Instead, the senior staff of the incoming White House are seeking to direct the flow of information to Trump, primarily, through its deputy chiefs of staff, including his longtime trusted aides Stephen Miller, Taylor Budowich and Dan Scavino. The Trump transition team did not return a request for comment. During Trump’s first administration, a greater number of top staff were given latitude to communicate directly with Trump. The new arrangement will mirror the type of structure that Wiles sought to implement on the 2024 presidential campaign, which consolidated direct decision-making authority to a small nucleus of senior staff, though, notably, did not seek to restrict Trump’s own ability to communicate with whom he desired. It was a strategy that prevailed over the two years of his candidacy and led to little internal drama relative to Trump’s first eight years as a political figure. One source told NBC News that while, in theory, the access should run through the assistants, each individual’s relationship with Trump will ultimately determine their level of access. Vaughn HillyardVaughn Hillyard is a correspondent for NBC News. Jonathan Allen, Olympia Sonnier, Jake Traylor and Matt Dixon contributed.
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