By Nimesh Bansal
In yet another bombshell presidential announcement on Twitter, Donald Trump appointed John F. Kelly as the new Chief of Staff. Kelly is to replace Reince Priebus, following the latter’s resignation. He had been the United States Secretary of Home land Security until now.
Six months in, President Donald Trump has already seen a change in his deputy chief of staff, national security adviser, communications director, press secretary and now his chief of staff. The most high-profile personnel switch in the Trump administration yet, this one was a long time coming.
Reince Priebus: A troubled tenure
Donald Trump and Reince Priebus had a fractious relationship from the start. Although Trump and Priebus worked together on the campaign trail, their alliance was more strategic than mutual. Priebus had advised Donald Trump to drop out of the Presidential race when the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape leakeda fact Trump reportedly remains resentful of.
Typically, the chain-of-command in the White House begins from the chief of staff. The duties of a chief of staff can vary from one administration to the other, but predominantly include overseeing the White House staff, managing the president’s schedule, and deciding who is allowed to meet with the president. Thus, a close working relationship between the president and the chief of staff is essential.
But Trumps administration is far from being a typical one. The working relationship between Trump and Priebus never really flourished. Reince Priebuss role came second to Steve Bannons (a close Trump aide) newly-conceived role as chief strategist. This undercut Priebuss authority as he could not take a decision without Bannons say.
An untenable situation made worse
The untenable situation was exacerbated when Donald Trump appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior adviser with uncharacteristically broad responsibilities, further weakening the jurisdiction of White Houses supposed top-job.
The last straw in Priebuss record-breakingly short-lived tenure was Trumps appointment of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director. There is a history of animosity between Priebus and Scaramucci. The former reportedly lobbied against Scaramucci landing a job in the Trump administration back in January. Perhaps in a vengeful mood, Scaramucci started slandering Reince Priebus as soon as he assumed office. He publicly accused Priebus of leaking confidential White House information. Further, in an explosive interview, he called Reince Priebus many things, including a “paranoiac”which was the nicest thing of the lot.
Following Priebuss ouster, President Donald Trump expressed his gratitude towards the former chief of staff on Twitter, saying: 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!
New dawn: Kelly takes charge
Now it is a new dawn for the Trump administration as John F. Kelly takes charge as the White House chief of staff. On the face of it, this already looks like a more congenial union. Kelly, in his role as the secretary of Department of Home land Security, had supported Trumps tough immigration policy and advocated its strict enforcement.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders endorsed Kellys appointment saying: General John Kelly is one of the true stars of the administration. He has helped seal the border and reduce illegal immigration by 70%. He is respected by everyone, especially the people at the Department of Home land Security.
It is clear from the outset that John F. Kelly will be more liked and respected within the administration than Reince Priebus was. But with this being Trumps topsy-turvy America, one can never be sure.
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