On Friday, Trump tweeted big news: he’d be appointing a new “acting” chief of staff.
The President’s Office of Management and Budget director — and former head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — got the job.
Mick Mulvaney replaced outgoing John Kelly:
“I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration. I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! John will be staying until the end of the year. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!”
I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018
….I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! John will be staying until the end of the year. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018
Trump’s and Mulvaney’s warm-and-fuzzies date back to 2017, during the creation of the GOP-led tax reform, which Nancy Pelosi moronically labeled “Armageddon” (here).
Though Mulvaney has snagged an “acting” title, there is “no time limit” — according to a senior administration official — to his position.
The official told CNN the chief of staff job is “[Mulvaney’s] to lose.”
Therefore, if things go well, he will remain as such.
Former South Carolina congressman Mulvaney makes three chiefs of staff for the administration in less than two years. John Kelly’s vacating the crucial role of running the White House was announced only a week ago.
Trump’s optimism over Mulvaney aside, he wasn’t The Donald’s first choice: VP Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, was first offered the job. However, Ayers declined the two-year commitment the President wanted.
As noted Thursday (here), I don’t take the overturn in the Trump White House as a bad sign; as I see it, the Artist of the Deal is slowly putting together his Dream Team. He wants to get things done, and he only wants the people who can best facilitate his vision.
Let’s hope Mick Mulvaney does just that.
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