Evie Fordham on August 29, 2018
White House counsel Don McGahn will leave his position this fall after serving in the administration since day one, President Donald Trump confirmed on Twitter Wednesday.
“White House Counsel Don McGahn will be leaving his position in the fall, shortly after the confirmation (hopefully) of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “I have worked with Don for a long time and truly appreciate his service!”
McGahn could step down after key political dramas like the Kavanaugh hearings or the midterm elections play out in the fall, according to an Axios report citing “top White House officials and sources close to” McGahn.
White House Counsel Don McGahn will be leaving his position in the fall, shortly after the confirmation (hopefully) of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. I have worked with Don for a long time and truly appreciate his service!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
In his current role, McGahn is a legal adviser to the president. He may switch gears to work on Trump’s re-election efforts, a McGahn “confidant” told Axios.
The catalyst for McGahn’s departure is unclear. Some outlets report that he and Trump clashed over Trump’s reported desire to pardon the president’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
McGahn considers Emmet Flood, a lawyer who is already in the White House Counsel’s Office, a good pick to take his place, according to a confidant cited by Axios.
Flood replaced Ty Cobb as the “point person” for special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, reported the Washington Post. He has served in both former Presidents Bill Clinton’s and George W. Bush’s administrations.
This post was updated to include Trump’s announcement on Twitter.
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