The sharp change in how Intel navigated Washington is being replicated across industries in Trump’s second term — by pharmaceutical companies cutting drug pricing deals with the White House, tech giants hoping to sell regulated equipment to China and energy firms that want looser environmental and permitting restrictions.

After decades of revolving-door culture, Washington is grappling with a new normal for how influence works in the capital. POLITICO spoke with several dozen lobbyists, industry officials and public relations professionals who revealed a transformation far more disruptive than the typical churn that comes with a new administration.

In Trump 2.0, American policy influence has shifted from its previous channels — agency officials, top lawmakers and staffers on key congressional committees — to a new reality where change comes suddenly from the top.

The president and a handful of lieutenants have seized full control over policies once considered the remit of Congress and experts at agencies, including hyperspecific issues like tariff rates, high-skilled visa fees and funding freezes. Trump’s gravitational pull has forced CEOs to act as their companies’ top lobbyists, plying the president with gifts and concessions to secure their policy priorities.

“The C-suites of America are now getting a first-hand opportunity to bang their heads against the wall,” said Niki Christoff, a tech consultant with stints at Salesforce and Google.

The new dynamic has transformed the business of Washington influence, shutting out many veteran lobbyists and excluding even longtime experts from the most important policy fights in Washington. With Congress and the agencies often sidelined, outside lobbying firms and in-house specialists — many with decades of policy experience and cross-party relationships — are declining in importance.

The example of Intel shows that direct personal lobbying can be strikingly effective — but also come at an enormous, and often unexpected, cost. After CEO Lip-Bu Tan was directly threatened by Trump in a social media post over his investments in Chinese companies, he flew to Washington, met personally with the president and agreed to hand the government nearly $10 billion in Intel stock