Nobody ever questioned that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly runs a tight ship. But after Kelly began his tenure with the ousting of communications director Anthony Scaramucci on Monday, many people got to wondering if the general might be able to tame his famously impulsive boss next.
Axios reports that — so far anyway — Kelly seems to be succeeding:
The door to the Oval Office used to be wide open, with favored officials drifting in and out — even in the middle of meetings — to kibitz with [President] Trump.
Now, the door is closed. Gen. John Kelly, the new White House chief of staff, has taken control in dramatic fashion, and is already imposing unmistakable signs of order after just a few days on the job[.]
Even POTUS appears to be trying to impress his four-star handler, picking up his game by acting sharper in meetings and even rattling off stats. [Axios]
If true, the news would signal a turning point for Trump, who prefers consuming data in bullet points and illustrations and reportedly can have a difficult time focusing on briefings if they aren't peppered with his name.