President Trump’s White House Deputy Chief of Staff Leaving White House

Donald J. Trump has been in the White House for less than 3 months and his administration is undergoing a second major shakeup in the last several weeks.

After Lieutenant General Michael Flynn was forced to resign from his job as National Security Adviser for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about communications he had with the Russian Ambassador, another top aide is leaving 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Katie Walsh, an RNC insider, who currently serves as President Trump’s deputy chief of staff, is leaving the White House to support outside groups designed to support the president’s agenda.

From Politico:

Walsh, a close ally of chief of staff Reince Priebus, served as chief of staff at the Republican National Committee when Priebus was chairman, and she was one of a number of RNC staffers he brought with him to the White House, including press secretary Sean Spicer.

The move has the blessing of the highest ranks of the White House. “You’ve got to have somebody from the inside who has the blessing of the man himself,” said the source close to the White House.

Walsh is expected to serve as an adviser both to a pro-Trump nonprofit and the RNC. The non-profit, America First, is stocked with veterans of the campaign and has been struggling to get off the ground.

The move could also have significant implications for Priebus, who is losing one of his top lieutenants in the West Wing.

For months, many have speculated that an internal struggle exists in the White House between Trump loyalists and RNC staffers, and Walsh’s departure could be seen as a major blow to establishment Republicans who may try and hinder President Trump’s outsider agenda.

Throughout the 2016 GOP primary, many top-level RNC staffers, including Reince Priebus, were very negative towards Trump and his campaign, dismissing the candidate altogether. As such, Walsh being forced out of the White House should send a powerful message to those within the White House who did not support the president early on that their future employment may be in jeopardy.

Furthermore, given that Walsh worked directly for Priebus at the RNC, her departure may reveal that the president is losing confidence in the former RNC chairman, instead favoring counsel from Steve Bannon.

What are your thoughts on Katie Walsh leaving the White House? Is this a signal that those who were not supportive of the president early on may be in jeopardy of leaving the White House? Share your thoughts below! 

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