Brian Ballard, despite the success of his lobbying firm, has faced skepticism from White House officials who accuse him of exaggerating his closeness to Donald Trump and leveraging the president’s name for personal gain

Quotes that support claims

But the irritation with Ballard goes beyond that incident, five people close to Trump said. Some White House officials believe that he is cashing in on Trump’s name, touting relationships with the president and Wiles that are not nearly as close as advertised. “One way to get yourself in the doghouse is for the president to think you’re trading on his name,” said another close Trump ally, who said Ballard “overstates his importance and value.”

“Ballard is making himself out to be this all-powerful Trump lobbyist with unfettered access to the administration, but that’s simply not true,” said one of the four people.