White House chief of staff Kelly expected to leave imminently

By ANDREW RESTUCCIA and CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO
12/07/2018 10:09 AM EST
Updated 12/07/2018 11:34 AM EST

The Trump White House's longest-running personnel drama may finally be over: Chief of staff John Kelly is expected to step down in the coming days, according to two administration officials.

Kelly, a retired Marine general who joined the White House staff in July 2017, has weathered several months of rumors that the president wants him out. But the officials said this time seemed different, noting that the relationship between the president and his embattled chief of staff has recently bottomed out and that his departure seems imminent.

The decision is not official and Trump, who has reportedly come close to firing Kelly before, could once again change his mind.

Still Kelly was not among the senior aides who was seen with Trump as he departed for a Friday trip to Kansas City. And Friday’s senior staff meeting, which is usually led by Kelly, was canceled, one of the administration officials said. (Two administration officials cautioned that staff meetings are often nixed when the president is traveling with senior aides, as he is today.)

Nick Ayers, vice president Mike Pence's chief of staff, is a leading candidate to replace Kelly. Ayers is close to Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. But he also has West Wing rivals suspicious of his ambition.

As he departed for Kansas City, Trump ignored shouted questions about Kelly. But he did preview an announcement about a very different chief of staff.

“I can give you a little hint: It will have to do with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and succession," he said before getting on Marine One.


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By POLITICO STAFF

White House spokespeople did not respond to repeated inquiries and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' office door was closed as of Friday morning.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...-house-1049705