Can new Chief of Staff John Kelly tame Trump?


New White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is "the first former general to occupy the gatekeeper's post since Alexander Haig played that role for President Richard M. Nixon during Watergate," The New York Times notes, and the hopes that he would be able to bring order to President Trump's chaotic White House were bolstered when Kelly fired garrulous White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci as one of his first official acts. But after less than a day on the job, the Times reports, "several administration aides fretted that the impetuous president and the disciplined Marine were already on a collision course that could ultimately doom the unlikely partnership."
Before accepting the chief of staff position, after several weeks of entreaties from Trump, Kelly got the president's assurance that unlike Reince Priebus, his predecessor, he would have the traditional full control over the stream of people and information heading to the president, with all West Wing aides and advisers passing policy proposals, personnel advice, and counsel from outsiders through him. "But the president gave Mr. Priebus many of the same assurances of control, and then proceeded to undercut and ignore him," the Times reports, "to the point where Mr. Priebus often positioned himself at the door of the Oval Office to find out whom the president was talking to."
Despite Trump's assurances, it is unclear "whether Kelly will be able to curb the president's inclination to subvert pecking orders, his tendency to encourage rivalries among his staff, and his insistence on managing his own message through social media in ways that have often undermined his aides' strategic planning," The Washington Post reports. Christopher Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax Media and a friend of Trump, isn't sure that Trump will change so easily. "This is a president that loves feedback and information," he told the Post, "and he doesn't like getting it through a chain of command."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Deaf Republic: ‘an experimental epic of war and resistance’
The Week Recommends Ukrainian-American writer Ilya Kaminsky’s poetry collection is brought to the stage in this ‘enthralling’ production
-
The Week US subscriptions FAQ
How to manage your subscription, get digital access, enquire about delivery problems and renew gift subscriptions
-
10 upcoming albums to stream during spooky season
The Week Recommends As fall arrives, check out new albums from Taylor Swift, Jeff Tweedy, the Lemonheads and more
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants