Tag: Trump White House

‘Ready, shoot, aim’: President Trump’s loyalty tests cause hiring headaches

The following article by Ashley Parker, Philip Rucker and Josh Dawsey was posted on the Washington Post website April 29, 2018:

White House doctor Ronny L. Jackson withdrew from the nomination to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, the White House said on April 26. (Reuters)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, then the star of President Trump’s early Cabinet, was assembling his staff and picked Sarah Isgur Flores as his top spokeswoman.

There was just one problem: She had criticized Trump, repeatedly, during the 2016 Republican primaries. Flores’s prospects for a Justice Department job stalled, and Trump’s advisers knew there was only one way Sessions would be able to hire her: If she kowtowed to Trump. Continue reading “‘Ready, shoot, aim’: President Trump’s loyalty tests cause hiring headaches”

FBI casts doubt on White House timeline involving former aide accused of spouse abuse

The following article by Josh Dawsey was posted on the Washington Post website April 26, 2018:

The White House was informed early last year about potential problems concerning the background investigation of former aide Rob Porter, according to the FBI, casting doubt on the Trump administration’s timeline of events.

According to the FBI account provided this month to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, White House Counsel Donald McGahn first received “derogatory information” about Porter in March 2017. The letter did not say what the information included, but “derogatory information” often prevents individuals from receiving security clearances. Continue reading “FBI casts doubt on White House timeline involving former aide accused of spouse abuse”

For Many, Life in Trump’s Orbit Ends in a Crash Landing

The following article by Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman was posted on the New York Times website April 26, 2018:

Proximity to Pres. Trump has crushed many people.Credit: Tom Brenner/New York Times

WASHINGTON — Another day, another casualty. Or two.

By the time the sun set Thursday, Dr. Ronny L. Jackson was a failed cabinet nominee whose life had been picked apart for public consumption, and Michael D. Cohen was back in court facing possible criminal prosecution.

A ride on President Trump’s bullet train can be thrilling, but it is often a brutal journey that leaves some bloodied by the side of the tracks. In only 15 months in office, Mr. Trump has burned through a record number of advisers and associates who have found themselves in legal, professional or personal trouble, or even all three. Continue reading “For Many, Life in Trump’s Orbit Ends in a Crash Landing”

Sessions told White House that Rosenstein’s firing could prompt his departure, too

The following article by Sari Horwitz, Rosalind S. Helderman, Josh Dawsey and Matt Zapotosky was posted on the Washington Post website April 20, 2018:

Credit: Screengrab

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently told the White House he might have to leave his job if President Trump fired his deputy, Rod J. Rosenstein, who oversees the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the exchange.

Sessions made his position known in a phone call to White House counsel Donald McGahn last weekend, as Trump’s fury at Rosenstein peaked after the deputy attorney general approved the FBI’s raid April 9 on the president’s personal attorney Michael Cohen. Continue reading “Sessions told White House that Rosenstein’s firing could prompt his departure, too”

Staff changes upend White House cyber team

The following article by Morgan Chalfant was posted on the Hill website April 19, 2018:

The White House cybersecurity team is undergoing a major shuffle that former officials say could jeopardize the administration’s efforts to develop cyber policy and punish hackers for disruptive attacks.

President Trump’s cybersecurity coordinator, Rob Joyce, revealed this week that he would vacate his post and return to the National Security Agency (NSA), ending a 14-month stint at the White House. Continue reading “Staff changes upend White House cyber team”

Hannity’s rising role in Trump’s world: ‘He basically has a desk in the place’

The following article by Robert Costa, Sarah Ellison and Josh Dawsey was posted on the Washington Post website April 17, 2018:

Sean Hannity was revealed to be one of Michael Cohen’s clients, a relationship Hannity never disclosed. Cohen is President Trump’s personal attorney. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

The phone calls between President Trump and Sean Hannity come early in the morning or late at night, after the Fox News host goes off the air. They discuss ideas for Hannity’s show, Trump’s frustration with the ongoing special counsel probe and even, at times, what the president should tweet, according to people familiar with the conversations. When he’s off the phone, Trump is known to cite Hannity when he talks with White House advisers.

The revelation this week that the two men share an attorney is just the latest sign of how Hannity is intertwined with Trump’s world — an increasingly powerful confidant who offers the ­media-driven president a sympathetic ear and shared grievances. The conservative commentator is so close to Trump that some White House aides have dubbed him the unofficial chief of staff. Continue reading “Hannity’s rising role in Trump’s world: ‘He basically has a desk in the place’”

Staff Turnovers: Casualties of the Trump Administration

As of May 3, 2018, here is a list of people who have left the Trump administration. We’ve compiled the list from multiple sources including the Rachel Maddow Show. You can view the latest video segment here.

Cabinet

  • Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price
  • Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
  • Secretary of Veteran Affairs David Shulkin

West Wing

  • Chief of Staff Reince Priebus
  • Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh
  • Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn
  • Director of Public Liaison George Sifaks
  • Office of Public Liaison Communications Director Omarosa Manigault
  • Staff Secretary Rob Porter
  • Deputy Assistant to the President Sean Cairncross
  • Chief Usher Angella Reid
  • Assistant to the President Reed Cordish
  • Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Carrol (moving to the “drug czar position”)
  • White House Chief Financial Advisor Gary Cohen
  • White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert
  • Special Assistant to the President for Tax and Retirement Policy Shahira Knight
  • White House Attorney Ty Cobb
  • White House Counsel’s Office Director of Special Projects Michael Roman

Self-Identified “Nationalists” in the White House

  • Chief White House Strategist Steve Bannon
  • National Security Aide Sebastian Gorka

Continue reading “Staff Turnovers: Casualties of the Trump Administration”

The evisceration of the Trump administration, by the numbers

The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website April 10, 2018:

On the first weekday after President Trump was inaugurated — Monday, Jan. 22, 2017 — Trump joined Vice President Pence and a couple dozen incoming staffers for a White House ceremony swearing in his new team. The staffers raised their right hands and formally committed to serving the 45th president of the United States.

Of the 23 people we know took an oath that day, 14 have resigned, been fired or announced their resignations. The 14th was Tom Bossert, Trump’s homeland security adviser, whose departure was announced Tuesday. A 15th, Andrew Bremberg, Trump’s domestic policy adviser, was reportedly looking to exit several months ago but remains in his position. Continue reading “The evisceration of the Trump administration, by the numbers”

White House has some serious legal questions to answer about Pruitt’s scandals

The following article by Natasha Geiling was posted on the ThinkProgress website April 6, 2018:

What did the White House know? How involved was energy lobbyist Steven Hart? And did Pruitt break the law at any point?

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing a mounting ethics crisis, from revelations that he rented a luxury Capitol Hill condofrom a lobbyist couple for $50 a night to allegations that he reassigned senior staffwho questioned his spending habits at the agency.

This week, as a fuller picture of the lobbyist-linked condo deal has emerged, both Democrat and Republican politicians have called for Pruitt to resign as administrator. But even as new details continue to emerge about Pruitt’s conduct, several key questions remain unanswered. Continue reading “White House has some serious legal questions to answer about Pruitt’s scandals”

Departing Trump officials leave a damning image

The following commentary by Michael Gerson was posted on the Washington Post webstie April 5, 2018:

President Trump set a record for White House staff turnover in the first year. Here’s an ongoing list of staff who have quit or been fired under Trump. (Joyce Koh/Washington Post)

From a presidential administration’s appointments we learn how it views itself. From an administration’s departures we learn how it conducts itself. Honesty comes easier to those with little left to lose.

In this regard, the Trump administration offers much to analyze. The pace of disillusioned exits is rapid. And what the departing have chosen to emphasize reveals much about daily life in the executive branch. Continue reading “Departing Trump officials leave a damning image”