It all comes full circle, as Trump reportedly vents to Reince Priebus about John Kelly


Isn't this kind of like calling your ex to complain about the new girlfriend you dumped her for?
President Trump is reportedly so annoyed by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that he's been in touch with the only other person who could understand: Reince Priebus, his former chief of staff, who also annoyed him. Priebus was pushed out to make room for Kelly, the retired four-star Marine general who was touted as bringing calm to a chaotic White House. But it turns out, The New York Times reports, Trump doesn't like it when his aides are in the news for the wrong reasons, and Kelly made negative headlines this week for forcefully defending former White House staff secretary Rob Porter after he was accused of domestic violence, and suggesting that some undocumented immigrants are "too lazy to get off their asses" to apply for legal status.
Two people briefed on the subject told the Times that Trump has been asking his advisers what they think about Mick Mulvaney — director of the White House budget office and interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — as a potential replacement for Kelly. Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who was chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton, told the Times he's worried about Kelly. "Even he has admitted it's probably the toughest job he's ever had," he said. "And I really do think sometimes, particularly with this president, you're fighting on so many fronts it's tough not to have that job wear on you." Read more about Kelly's precarious situation, and the memo he sent out to White House staffers regarding domestic violence, at The New York Times.
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
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
August 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogs
The Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revolt
Speed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich thrower
Speed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodus
Speed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official says
Speed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportation
Speed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda