Summary: President Donald Trump has replaced his chief of staff Reince Priebus with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.
Chief of Staff Reince Priebus has graciously stepped aside to allow Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to take charge. Reports differ but Priebus allegedly resigned after a rough six months.
Priebus explained in a CNN interview, “The President wanted to go in a different direction. A president has a right to hit a reset button. I think it’s a good time to hit the reset button. I think he was right to hit the reset button.” He added, “I’m always going to be a Trump fan. I’m on Team Trump and I look forward to helping him achieve his goals and his agenda for the American people.”
While Priebus insisted he submitted his resignation on Thursday to the President even though on Friday, sources were adamant that he had not resigned. It wasn’t until Trump made the announcement that the sources were finally claiming that Priebus had resigned.
Trump made the announcement on Twitter soon after he landed at Joint Base Andrews on Air Force One. He tweeted, “I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American… and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.”
The last few months have been rocky with many experts predicting that Priebus would be replaced soon. He has been the target of heavy criticism for the constant leaks and lack of order at the White House due to the controversies. He was originally selected by Trump because of his relationships in Washington. A number of Trump’s staff have been critical of each other with a public episode from communications director Anthony Scaramucci that was published in the New Yorker. Scaramucci called Priebus a “paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac.”
Trump took Priebus with him on a recent trip to Long Island for a gang violence event. When they returned, Priebus had just gotten into the Secret Service van when Trump made the tweet from the plane. The van left for Washington before Trump got off the plane.
Priebus said of his replacement, “I think General Kelly is a brilliant pick. We’ll be working on a transition here for a couple weeks together with General Kelly starting on Monday morning. So this is not like a situation where there are a bunch of ill will feelings.”
Kelly was approached by Trump to run the Department of Security, which put him in charge of issues like cybersecurity, immigration, aviation security, and countering domestic terrorism. Kelly is a marine who served roughly 50 years ago with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has held positions like chief of Southern Command, senior assistant to the secretary of defense, and as a legislative liaison to Congress.
While more changes may be in store, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon will be staying for now. Trump has voiced concerns whether he should keep him or not. Some have told Trump that removing Bannon may damage his base.
Do you think Trump is trying to revamp his staff so that there will be more unity through the controversies or is just cleaning out staff members that might know more than he wants them to? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn about the controversies Trump is facing right now, read these articles:
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- Will Jeff Sessions Resign After Donald Trump’s Twitter Attack?
- Trump to Reinstate Ban on Transgender People in the Military
Photo: wikipedia.org