In the words of Anthony Scaramucci, “#@&% $#!%,” President Donald Trump has replaced Reince Priebus with General John Kelly as his Chief of Staff.
Priebus said that he had offered his resignation to the president and Trump accepted and that they had been discussing it “for a few days.”
“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the President and our country,” Priebus said in a statement. ” I want to thank the President for giving me this very special opportunity. I will continue to serve as a strong supporter of the President’s agenda and policies. I can’t think of a better person than General John Kelly to succeed me and I him God’s blessings and great success.”
I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
…and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
Just last week, President Trump accepted White House Press Secretary and Acting Director of Communications Sean Spicer’s resignation after Trump selected Anthony Scaramucci for the Director position. Spicer had been brought into the administration by Priebus.
John Kelly was serving as the Director of the Department of Homeland Security prior to Friday’s announcement and said that he was “honored” to serve the president in his new role.
“I have been fortunate to have served my country for more than 45 years – first as a Marine and then as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,” Kelly said in a statement. “I am honored to be asked to serve as the chief of staff to the President of the United States.”
Trump appears to be losing patience with the GOP establishment. Constant leaks, failure to pass any significant legislature and internal strife have all been attributed to the old guard Republicans trying to hold on to power in a ‘drain the swamp’ atmosphere.
Kelly will likely demand structure, order, and loyalty of all White House staff which could alleviate the bickering, backbiting, and leaking that has plagued Trump’s administration for months. If Trump allows him the power to dismiss those unwilling to stay in line, things could straighten out quickly.
