Trump sacks Priebus: ‘The President wanted to go in a new direction’
WHITE House chief of staff Reince Priebus has appeared on national television to play down reports he was fired from by US President Donald Trump.
WHITE House chief of staff Reince Priebus has appeared on national television to play down reports he was fired from by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Priebus today told The Situation Room anchor Wolf Blitzer that he handed in his resignation to Mr Trump on Thursday after the president revealed he wanted to “go in a new direction”.
Mr Priebus appeared on the show about two hours after it was reported that Mr Trump had sacked him from the White House amid an “all-out civil war” within the Administration.
“I think the president wanted to go a different direction,” Mr Priebus said.
“This is not a situation where there’s a lot of ill will feelings.”
Mr Trump has replaced him with retired Marine Corps general and current Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. He said Mr Kelly would do a “fantastic job”.
“I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.
“He is a Great American ... and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.
“Mr Kelly’s Department of Homeland Security is responsible for enforcing border security and has taken a tough line on immigrants inside the US.”
Mr Priebus said the president made a “smart” choice in picking General Kelly.
“This is good for the president ... I think things are going to be run very well,” Mr Priebus said.
The restructure comes just days after speculation mounted that Mr Trump would sack Mr Priebus or force him to quit. Mr Priebus, the former Republican National Committee head, had been a frequent target of rumours about his job security amid infighting and confusion within the White House and a long whisper campaign by Trump allies. Earlier this week he became the target of a barrage of expletives and insults from Anthony Scaramucci, who accused him of being a “paranoid schizophrenic.”
The timing of Mr Priebus’ “resignation” has led many political commentators to believe he was pushed out despite him denying that was the case.
The decision was officially announced just as Mr Trump landed aboard air force One after a visit to Long Island. Mr Priebus was on the plane with him and left with no comment.
Mr Trump had lost confidence in Mr Priebus, privately questioning his competence after major legislative items failed to pass the US Congress, a Trump confidant said.
“Reince is a good man,” Mr Trump told reporters after he got off air force One at Joint Base Andrews on the outskirts of Washington.
In a third tweet the president praised and thanked Mr Priebus.
“I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!” he wrote.
I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
...and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
Mr Trump has replaced him with retired Marine Corps general and current Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. He said Mr Kelly would do a “fantastic job”.
“I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff,” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.
“He is a Great American ... and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.
“Mr Kelly’s Department of Homeland Security is responsible for enforcing border security and has taken a tough line on immigrants inside the US.”
Mr Preibus’ apparent sacking and Mr Kelly’s appointment come after Mr Trump’s new Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci, unleashed a foul-mouthed rant about his colleagues.
In a phone call with the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza, Mr Scaramucci called White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus a “f***ing paranoid schizophrenic, paranoiac” and claimed he would be “asked to resign very shortly”.
Mr Trump, who reportedly “loved” the expletive-filled rant, was said to be unhappy about Mr Priebus’ unwillingness to fight back, according to an adviser who spoke to the Wall Street Journal.
Speculation soon mounted that Mr Priebus, the most senior staffer in the administration, would be fired or forced to quit.
During Mr Scaramucci’s profanity-laden diatribe, he also targeted Mr Trump’s chief strategist.
“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own c-**k,” he said. “I’m not trying to build my own brand off the f***ing strength of the president. I’m here to serve the country.”
Mr Trump “loved the Mooch quotes,” Axios reported, using Scaramucci’s nickname.
“But President Trump doesn’t like being upstaged. ‘Mini-me’ can’t forget the ‘Mini’ part. Being more Trump than Trump, in Trump’s house, is a dangerous game,” the site reported.
Mr Scaramucci’s colleagues reportedly refer to him privately as “Mini-Me” because of his bombastic style reminiscent of the commander-in-chief.
Axios reported that not all of Mr Scaramucci’s conversation with Lizza were on the record.
“Late in the conversation, Scaramucci requested that one part be off the record, and we respected that. The rest was on the record. Today (Thursday), Ryan and Scaramucci had another conversation and Scaramucci was clear and agreed that the conversation was on the record,” Axios reported, citing a New York spokesman.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump Jr. emulated his dad by going on Twitter overnight to voice his support for the fiery communications chief.
“Shocked the media is going after @Scaramucci for working to cut off their ‘sources & leaks. All I know is that he isn’t/wasn’t the leak!!!” he wrote.
Mr Priebus’ ousting is the latest of a string of White House departures.
White House Communications Director Sean Spicer quit after Mr Scaramucci was hired, and Michael Short of the communications shop quit before Mr Scaramucci could fire him.
Dougal Robinson, research fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, told news.com.au the dysfunction and personal intrigue within the White House is immensely distracting, and incredibly, the President himself doesn’t seem too concerned.
“The Trump Administration is having trouble focusing on and implementing its policy objectives,” he said.
“President Trump has not yet achieved a major legislative success.”
- With wires
‘Australia broke its word’: Trump bombshell
An ominous new detail on Australia has emerged in the executive order signed by Donald Trump today.
Furious EU leaders put Trump in crosshairs
EU leaders have come out swinging in response to Donald Trump’s tariffs, which are poised to shake the entire globe in a matter of weeks.
Twist in Australia’s Trump tariff saga
A proclamation signed by Donald Trump has revealed a surprise issue, hours after the PM asked the President for an exemption on steel and aluminium exports.