Gabriel Sherman just dropped another bomb on Washington not long after Senate Democrats caved on the shutdown, helping to pass a bill to get the government open again.
Writing in Vanity Fair, Sherman reports that “Two prominent Republicans in frequent contact with the White House told me that Trump has discussed choosing Kelly’s successor in recent days, asking a close friend what he thought about David Urban, a veteran Washington lobbyist and political operative who helped engineer Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania. Ivanka is also playing a central role in the search, quietly field-testing ideas with people.”
BREAKING: Ivanka Trump is leading the search to replace John Kelly, reports @GabrielSherman https://t.co/Mk9AYhCmsx
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) January 22, 2018
If General Kelly were to be let go by the White House, it would certainly enforce the narrative that the Trump Administration is a mess. Kelly has been lauded for his stern approach to keeping the President focused and on task. His departure would be seen as the loss of an essential gatekeeper.
Here’s why I think the report is bogus. Despite the recent government shutdown, President Trump is presiding over a series of wins. The stock market is booming, companies are investing in America, people are seeing more money in their pocket, and businesses are handing out bonuses to employees like candy.
The economic good news comes thanks to the recently passed tax cut passage, the first of its kind in nearly 30 years.
The kind of economic movements happening right now will benefit the country for years to come. Disrupting the winning streak by firing Kelly would likely affect the stock market, and not in a good way.
If Trump is shopping around for a new chief of staff, he likely won’t make the change until after the 2018 elections. That’s my guess, anyway.
What do you think? Is President Trump getting ready to hire a new chief of staff? Will he let John Kelly go? Tell us your thoughts below!
