President Trump has been more or less openly talking about a big staff shakeup for at least a week, as he blames aides for the series of scandals, largely of his own making, that are engulfing the White House. White House staffers are quietly fuming at Trump and beginning to think of their futures, report Ashley Parker and Abby Phillip at The Washington Post. As the news broke that the Justice Department has appointed a special counsel to oversee the investigation into Russian election meddling and the Trump campaign, they continue:
Some White House staffers have turned to impeachment gallows humor. Other mid-level aides have started reaching out to consultants, shopping their résumés. And at least one senior staffer has begun privately talking to friends about what a post-White House job would look like. ...One Republican operative in frequent contact with White House officials described them as "going through the stages of grief." Another said some aides have "moved to angry," frustrated with a president who demands absolute loyalty but in recent days has publicly tarnished the credibility of his team by sending them out with one message, only to personally undercut it later with a contradicting tweet or public comment. And a third said that others are now sticking around purely for self-interest, hoping to juice their future earning potential. This Republican added that any savvy White House staffer should be keeping a diary. "The real question is: How long do you put up with it?," this person said. [The Washington Post]
The leaks from the already siphonic White House have "subtly shifted" from internal jockeying and undermining to also "training their frustrations on the president," The Washington Post says, and the remaining Trump loyalists "report a growing sense of isolation." You can read more about the worst job in Washington politics at The Washington Post.
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