A meeting held by former President Donald Trump in 2017 in which he demanded loyalty from his aides and advisers set him up for establishing a group of “shock troops” to transform the federal government to his wishes in 2024.

In 2017, shortly after being elected as president, Trump went around the Oval Office “inquisition-style” and asked each aide to declare allegiance to him, a person who was present at the meeting told NBC News.