Why Is John Kelly Leaving the White House?
President Trump announced over the weekend that Chief of Staff John Kelly will be leaving the White House by the end of the year. The announcement is hardly a surprise considering the high turnover in the Trump administration. But why Kelly? And why now? More at Time.
White House chief of staff John Kelly discovered what every White House staff member should know about their job status: they serve at the pleasure of the president. Once any chief loses the confidence of POTUS, and to a lesser extent the confidence of the rest of the White House staff, they are a dead man walking. This
Retired Marine general John Kelly’s exit from the White House might be more than the usual Trump-era turnover – it may signal Donald Trump’s pivot to his 2020 campaign… Additional reports have posited that Nick Ayers – Vice President Mike Pence’s current chief of staff – will assume the role, and according to Politico that’s a strong indication that Trump is ready to focus on his re-election strategy.
…we should stop asking who’s finally going to get Donald Trump under control. No one is. Self-discipline is not in the guy’s DNA. This is a White House unlike any other, and it will be for at least another two years. Kelly’s replacement won’t really be the chief of staff, even if that’s what it says on his door; Trump is unwilling to give anyone the authority they would need to perform that job.