Trump Replaces Priebus as Chief of Staff With DHS Chief Kelly

The former Republican National Committee chairman struggled to navigate an administration riven with conflict, where top aides must compete with the president’s daughter and son-in-law for influence. 

People close to Trump had largely blamed the chief of staff for the White House’s troubles in Congress, where the president has yet to secure a major legislative victory.

Priebus’s departure shakes up the balance of power around Trump, whose inner circle includes chief strategist Steve Bannon; National Economic Director Gary Cohn; Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law; and his daughter Ivanka, who is also a White House official; and now Scaramucci.

But Priebus had also been a steady hand inside a West Wing that often found itself off-balance. 

For example, as a spat between Bannon and Kushner spilled out into the open in April, Priebus worked to arrange a détente at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, according to a senior White House official familiar with the internal strife. And Priebus was heavily involved in persuading House Republicans to hold a vote on their stalled health-care bill, which ultimately was sent to the Senate.

“All I would say is, as you know, Reince is a very close friend of mine,” House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. “Reince is doing a fantastic job at the White House, and I believe he has the president’s confidence.”

He added, “ I think Reince is doing a great job as chief of staff.”

The chief of staff still fell out of favor with Trump, as he watched policy losses pile up despite Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. The president’s attempt to prevent immigration or travel from six predominantly Muslim nations was blocked by courts, after a botched rollout. 

The House healthcare bill, once expected to pass easily — perhaps even on Inauguration Day — took far longer to negotiate and is broadly unpopular with voters.

A compromise spending bill keeping the government open until October was celebrated as a win by Democrats, who secured continued funding for the women’s health provider Planned Parenthood while minimizing extra spending for Trump’s defense build-up and Mexican border wall.

No major legislation has yet landed on Trump’s desk for his signature.