President Donald Trump replaced his beleaguered White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, after only six months on the job on Friday, installing retired General John Kelly in his place in a major shake-up of his top team.
Trump announced the move in a tweet a day after his new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, accused Priebus of leaking information to reporters in a profanity-laced tirade.
Kelly, 67, who retired from the Marine Corps, was most recently secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump issued his decision just as he landed aboard Air Force One after a visit to Long Island. Priebus was on the plane with the Republican president and made no comment.
Trump had lost confidence in Priebus, privately questioning his competence after major legislative items failed to pass the U.S. Congress, a Trump confidant said.
A source close to Priebus said the former Republican National Committee chairman turned in his resignation on Thursday night after Scaramucci’s rant against him was published by the New Yorker magazine.
A senior White House official said Trump had informed Priebus two weeks ago that he would be replacing him and that the move had no connection to Scaramucci, whose hiring a week ago prompted Sean Spicer, a Priebus ally, to abruptly resign as press secretary.
After frequent conversations with Kelly, Trump recently warmed up to the idea of naming Kelly chief of staff to more effectively manage personnel and offered it to him earlier this week, a senior White House official said.
Kelly starts on Monday.
Reuters