There’s a rumor shooting around Washington, D.C., right now that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will soon be dismissed by President Trump. The report comes after other news reports detailing a strained relationship between Kelly and the office of First Lady Melania Trump.
A big shakeup at the White House after the midterm elections has been rumored for a while. And now it looks like Trump is confirming those rumors.
NBC reports:
John Kelly, mired in conflicts with a widening array of officials from the National Security Council to the office of the first lady, may soon depart the Trump administration, according to seven people familiar with the discussions.
Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, is among those being considered for the job, three of the people said, though President Donald Trump has mused about other possible candidates.
…….
Kelly has also gotten on the wrong side of first lady Melania Trump over staffing issues and travel requests. Some of the disputes with the East Wing have escalated to the president, the seven people familiar with the clashes said.
NEW: After clashes with the First Lady and others, Chief of Staff Kelly may soon exit the Trump White House, according to 7 people familiar with the discussions. https://t.co/PQuTfv9qGJ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 13, 2018
This comes on the heels of news that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is also being forced out of the job. (RELATED: Trump Set to Fire DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Over Immigration Failures.) Nielsen actually replaced Kelly when he left DHS to become White House chief of staff. She’s reportedly close with Kelly. Now it looks like Trump is ousting them both.
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We still don’t know if Trump will follow through and replace Kelly. It’s been rumored for a long time that Trump was set to fire him. Last summer, Trump actually came close to firing Kelly, before pulling back. (RELATED: John Kelly Reportedly Resigning This Summer.)
Regardless, after the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and the all-but-confirmed firing of Nielsen, it appears Trump is really set on clearing house.
With Democrats now in control of the House of Representatives, let’s hope Trump is doing what’s necessary to keep pushing his agenda, even without one chamber of Congress.
