Trump’s brain drain

The following article by Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and Daniel Lippman was posted on the Politico website August 30, 2018:

White House counsel Donald McGahn Credit: Andrew Harnik, AP

TRUMP’S EMPTYING WHITE HOUSE … DON MCGAHN is leaving. The Washington Post reported last night: “Three of McGahn’s deputies — Greg Katsas, Uttam Dhillon and Makan Delrahim — have departed, and a fourth, Stefan Passantino, will have his last day Friday. That leaves John Eisenberg, who handles national security, as the lone deputy counsel.” WaPo (By the way, why couldn’t Passantino hold on a few more months until he could say he’s leaving after the midterms?)

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS — the marquee name in the president’s White House press shop — doesn’t seem to be far behind, according to reports. And it’s widely believed that JOHN KELLY could also head for the exits at some point, despite saying he will remain in the post through 2020. Not to mention a number of lower-level staffers who have already left the administration. Turnover, of course, is a natural part of any White House. These jobs are high-stress and require grueling hours.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT HERE is that unlike previous administrations, there isn’t an army of political operatives and top aides vying to replace the troops. Scores of top HOUSE REPUBLICAN aides are going to be looking for jobs soon, and we’ve only heard of a handful that are even willing to consider an administration job.

View the complete article here.