Breaking: Trump Says Chief of Staff John Kelly Is on His Way Out
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will be leaving his post later this month, President Donald Trump said Saturday.
Trump made the announcement to the media as he was leaving the White House to attend the Army-Navy football game.
“John Kelly will be leaving – I don’t know if I can say ‘retiring.’ But, he’s a great guy,” Trump said, according to a White House media pool report.
“John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. We’ll be announcing who will be taking John’s place…I’ll be announcing that over the next day or two.”
CBS speculated that Nick Ayers, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, could be a possible successor to Kelly. Trump did not answer Saturday when asked of Ayers would replace Kelly.
The New York Times suggested that candidates to replace Kelly could include Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, budget director Mick Mulvaney and trade representative, Robert Lighthizer.
The Times said Trump and Kelly met Friday night to outline how and when Kelly would leave. The Times said a Monday announcement was planned.
Kelly had been the subject of multiple media stories in recent weeks that he would be leaving the administration.
Trump, in fact, had said that Kelly would be leaving at some point.
During an interview with Chris Wallace of Fox News he said that although he and Kelly “get along well” there were some differences between the two men.
“There are certain things I love what he does,” Trump said then. “And there are certain things that I don’t like that he does — that aren’t his strength. It’s not that he doesn’t do — you know he works so hard. He’s doing an excellent job in many ways. There are a couple of things where it’s just not his strength.”
Although Trump at one point indicated Kelly might stay through the 2020 elections, he also said, “John, at some point, is going to want to move on. John will move on.”
Kelly, who had initially joined the Trump administration as Department of Homeland Security secretary, replaced former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus as chief of staff in July 2017, Fox News reported.
Trump has recently announced several staff changes.
On Friday, Trump said he has picked William Barr to serve as attorney general replacing former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and State Department official Heather Nauert to replace outgoing Nikki Haley as U.N. Ambassador.
I am pleased to announce my nomination of four-star General Mark Milley, Chief of Staff of the United States Army – as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, replacing General Joe Dunford, who will be retiring….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018
….I am thankful to both of these incredible men for their service to our Country! Date of transition to be determined.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018
On Saturday, Trump named Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to succeed Gen. Joseph Dunford as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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