Author: Michael D. Shear and Maggie Haberman / Source: New York Times
President Trump appointed more generals to senior positions than any other modern president. But with John Kelly’s resignation, only one general remains. Here’s what happened.
WASHINGTON — John F. Kelly, the retired Marine general tapped as chief of staff by President Trump last year to bring order to his chaotic White House, will leave the job by the end of the year, the latest departure from the president’s inner circle after a bruising midterm election for his party.
Mr. Trump, who made the announcement to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia on Saturday, said that he would name a replacement for Mr. Kelly, perhaps on an interim basis, in the next day or two.
“John Kelly will be leaving — I don’t know if I can say ‘retiring,’” the president said. “But he’s a great guy. John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year.”
The leading candidate to replace Mr. Kelly is Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff and a Republican political operative, who possesses the kind of savvy about campaigns that Mr. Trump has craved. Mr. Kelly, a career military officer before becoming Mr. Trump’s first homeland security secretary, lacked such experience.
Mr. Ayers, 36, has told Mr. Trump that he would serve on an interim basis through the spring, when his family will return to Georgia, according to people familiar with the discussions. But Mr. Trump, who frets about the image of a White House in constant chaos, wants a full-time replacement and is eager for Mr. Ayers to stay for the duration.
If the president ultimately turns to another candidate, potential choices include the Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin; his budget director, Mick Mulvaney; and the United States trade representative, Robert Lighthizer.
Mr. Kelly’s coming departure leaves Mr. Trump with an ever-shrinking team of close advisers as he faces increasing peril from federal investigations into his conduct in the 2016 election. On Friday, prosecutors in New York said Mr. Trump had directed illegal payments during that campaign, and prosecutors for the special counsel said his campaign had had contact with Russians as early as November 2015.
Mr. Trump must also begin to navigate a new power structure on Capitol Hill…
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