Trump reportedly wants the White House to be even more chaotic
President Trump's ideal work environment is a bit unusual. The president reportedly views his administration as too stable and structured, preferring rapid staff turnover as the best way to keep moving forward, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
Trump contests the notion that his White House is in "chaos," anonymous staffers told Bloomberg. Rather, he thinks it's verging on stagnant, as he settles into his role as president and takes the lead on procedures previously left to Chief of Staff John Kelly.
Further, Trump apparently views his ouster of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin — all within a span of just 15 days — as a set of strategic moves to speed his agenda along. Bloomberg reports that Trump has recently complained about inaction in Congress, wishing for fewer of the "guardrails and rules" that get in the way of his priorities.
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.
Staffers and aides say that Trump's desire for more independent decision-making means that Kelly's leverage over the president is waning, and Trump is making major decisions, like the replacement of McMaster with John Bolton, on his own. Against Kelly's advice, Trump is in contact with former members of the administration who caused plenty of chaos of their own: former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former communications director Anthony Scaramucci. Read more at Bloomberg.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Heavenly spectacle in the wilds of CanadaThe Week Recommends ‘Mind-bending’ outpost for spotting animals – and the northern lights
-
Facial recognition: a revolution in policingTalking Point All 43 police forces in England and Wales are set to be granted access, with those against calling for increasing safeguards on the technology
-
Codeword: December 14, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
