Breaking: Trump Announces New Acting White House Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Mick Mulvaney, the current director of the Office of Management and Budget, will be acting White House chief of staff.
Trump tweeted, “I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction.
“Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration. I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
“John will be staying until the end of the year. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!”
….I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! John will be staying until the end of the year. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018
Mulvaney responded, tweeting, “This is a tremendous honor. I look forward to working with the President and the entire team. It’s going to be a great 2019!”
Trump had announced last Saturday that Kelly would be leaving the administration by the end of this year, having served two years, first as secretary of Homeland Security and as chief of staff starting in late July 2017.
The president told reporters at the White House on Thursday he had narrowed his choices for replacing Kelly down to five candidates.
In an interview with Fox News host Harris Faulkner, which aired the same day, he said, “I want somebody that’s strong, but I want somebody that thinks like I do.”
“It’s my vision. It is my vision,” he said. “After all, at the same time, I’m open to ideas.”
Potential replacements who reportedly had been considered included Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Both took themselves out of contention.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina had also been mentioned, but the White House announced earlier this week he would be most valuable to the president remaining where he was.
Mulvaney, 51, served as a member of Congress from South Carolina from 2011 to 2017.
The former congressman made his mark as a budget expert by helping negotiate the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, which capped federal spending.
With budget battles looming with the new Democratic-controlled House in January, that experience will no doubt prove invaluable to the Trump administration.
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