In a dramatic shakeup move reminiscent of a scene from the popular TV series Game Of Thrones, President Trump on Friday fired his once favourite Chief of Staff, former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair, Reince Priebus after a six months tenure. He has been replaced by a highly decorated, retired four-star Marine general, John F. Kelly.
General Kelly who is currently serving as the head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will assume his new position at the White House on Monday, July 31st 2017. The announcement which was made via Twitter on Friday afternoon by President Trump was successfully kept under wraps and posted without anyone being aware of it, including the now former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus who had joined the President on this trip.
Trump announced his appointment of retired General John Kelly on Friday afternoon on Twitter. Credit: Twitter
Trump announced his appointment of retired General John Kelly on Friday afternoon on Twitter. Credit: Twitter
The announcement to replace Priebus was made on the tarmac aboard Air Force One by Trump after he returned from his Long Island trip. Neither other staff members who travelled with the President nor the now fired former Chief of Staff knew of the tweet until it became public.
Trump twitted his appointment of retired General John Kelly on Friday afternoon before thanking now former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus for his service. Credit: Twitter
While reports suggest that Priebus secretly submitted his resignation on Thursday, there had been swirling speculation of his impending departure since Anthony Scaramucci was hired as a White House staffer by the President. His exit from the White House comes barely 24 hours after a scathing attack from the newly nominated WH Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci named him as a “leaker.”
Reince Priebus with White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino on Friday at Andrews Trump announced General John Kelly as new Chief of Staff on Twitter. Credit: AP
Priebus’ departure comes barely a week after resignations of his two other White House allies and fellow RNC staffers – Sean Spicer and Michael Short. Spicer resigned from his position as WH Communications Director on Friday and later followed by Michael Short on Tuesday.
These resignations of mainly Washington insiders highlight an existing conflict and tension between President Trump’s management style that is fast-paced and results-driven and the non-charlant, snail-pace speed of the Washington political establishment.
Reince Priebus resignation comes barely a week after his closest ally former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned. Credit: Reuters
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Sarah Huckabee Sanders who replaced Sean Spicer as White House Press Secretary read said,
“The President thanks Reince Priebus for his service. They accomplished a lot together. He was loyal in his service to the President, and the president thanks him and his family for their great service to the country and he will always be a member of the Trump team.”
“He will start Monday morning and there will also be a cabinet meeting following his swearing in that morning,” she continued.
President Trump has appointed retired general and DHS Secretary John Kelly to White House Chief of Staff to Friday replacing former RNC Chair, Reince Priebus. Credit: Getty Images
The move to bring in a General is perceived as an attempt by a President to instill order and discipline in a White House that seems to be at war with itself and besieged by constant leaks of highly sensitive classified information. Scaramucci, a close ally of President Trump threatened to fire White House staffers who are leakers and are not serving the President honourably.
Speaking to Fox News, Scaramucci pointed out that, “You have a one-in-a-million, once in a lifetime opportunity to serve the country and President of the United States, and you need to serve honorably. If you can’t do that, I have the stomach and backbone to fire you.”
Anthony Scaramucci put everyone on notice by threatening to ‘fire’ leakers in the White House and within the Administration. Credit: Reuters
The hiring of Anthony Scaramucci this week as White House Communications Director was not welcomed his predecessor Sean Spicer, then Chief of Staff Reince Priebus together with other establishment Washington insiders within the Trump Administration.
The departure of Reince Priebus from the White House comes a week after his close ally and other former RNC staffers resigned. Sean Spicer resigned from his position as White House Communications Director on Monday while Michael Short whom Priebus also brought to the WH resigned on Tuesday after Scaramucci’s stern warning after his appointment to fire all leakers in the WH Communications office.
Reince Priebus on his last security-chauffeured ride on Friday July 28 from Joint Base Andrews as the former White House Chief of Staff. Credit: Reuters
Of Mr. Short, Scaramucci said, “I got rid of somebody inside the staff because somebody above my rank suggested that person needed to be fired. I didn’t want to fire him as much as we wanted to give him the opportunity to resign,” he said on CNN.
The fact that Mr. Scaramucci reports directly to the President seemed to bother both Preibus and Spicer the most who objected to that command chain. To ease the concern, Scaramucci went as far as pointing out to Priebus that he wasn’t a threat to him commenting on how the two men treated each other like competitive brothers before making reference to the Biblical brothers – Cain and Abel (although Cain murdered Abel in the end).
The hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as new White HouseCommunications Director this was not welcomed by DC insiders including Priebus, Spicer and others. Credit: EPA
The arrival of Mr. Scaramucci as the new Communications Director has created divisions and heightened tensions among White House staffers, some of whom believe targeting the Communications Office for leakers is misdirected. The atmosphere didn’t improve when he further stated that he will fire anyone perceived to be a leaker.
Reince Priebus was the last Republic establishment and RNC connection left in the Trump Administration White House after the departures of Sean Spicer, Michael Short and Katie Walsh (Priebus’ former deputy) who left earlier in March. His tenure of 189 days is the shortest of a White House Chief of Staff in U.S. political history.
Copyright © 2017 Manyika Review. All Rights Reserved.
