Keith Schiller, President Trump's trusted longtime bodyguard and the White House director of Oval Office operations, has worked for Trump since 1999. But as he prepares to leave for greener pastures, Trump's friends are worried about how the loss will affect Trump's psyche, they tell Axios. Trump believes that Schiller "tells him the truth because the only dog he has in the fight is the boss," one friend says, and so Trump seeks his advice on everything. Politically, Schiller, a former NYPD officer, is "a Breitbart-style conservative who kept Trump in touch with the Republican base and with the law enforcement community," Axios reports. "He's a winger!" a Schiller friend says. "He's one of us."
Schiller is reportedly moving on so he can make more money, like he did in his pre-White House role with the Trump Organization. But the controls new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has placed on Trump's visitors have also reduced Schiller's role as Trump's gut-instinct gatekeeper, divining who the president wanted to see at any given time. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who has enjoyed good access to Trump and his circle, agrees that losing Schiller will be an emotional adjustment for Trump.
Maybe that's why most presidents get dogs.
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.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 13, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
