The turnover rate of the White House no longer rivals the turnover rate of popular fast food restaurants, it may be quickly surpassing them. On Wednesday, news of another planned departure, this one a cabinet member and former presidential candidate, was reported.
Scoop: Energy Secretary Rick Perry is preparing his exit strategy.
He is planning to leave the administration—although not imminently, sources tell @jendlouhyhc and me.
He declined Trump’s offer to run Dept of Homeland Security, so he’s not just switching agencies.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 18, 2019
Sources close to former Texas governor and current Energy Secretary under Donald Trump, Rick Perry, is preparing staff for his departure. While Perry still claims to be undecided, he’s already begun preparing his deputy secretary to take over.
Bloomberg reports:
‘While Perry’s exit isn’t imminent and one person familiar with the matter said the former Texas governor still hasn’t fully made up his mind, three people said he has been seriously considering his departure for weeks. All of the people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.’
News: Rick Perry is planning to leave his job and is finalizing the terms and timing of his departure, per @JenniferJJacobs @jendlouhyhc @AriNatter (on @TheTerminal).
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) April 18, 2019
As a 2012 presidential primary contender, Perry once famously announced during a debate that, as president, he would eliminate three government departments: the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, and he couldn’t remember the third. During his confirmation hearings for his current position, which he somehow got through without being routinely laughed at, he admitted that he had no idea at the time what the U.S. Department of Energy did.
Even so, Trump reportedly considered asking him to step into the position of Homeland Security secretary after the resignation of Kirstjen Nielson. Perry, blessedly for all of us, turned down the offer.
‘Perry, an Air Force veteran who was previously Texas’s longest-serving governor, has enjoyed a good rapport with President Donald Trump. Trump personally asked Perry if he’d take over as Homeland Security secretary before the president asked Kirstjen Nielsen to resign earlier this month, two of the people said. Perry declined, they said.’
In this 2011 clip from CNBC Classic then Texas Governor and Republican Primary Candidate Rick Perry said he'd eliminate three government departments, but then couldn't name the third. For more #CNBCClassic videos, follow us on YouTube: https://t.co/EeKIzHdHoE pic.twitter.com/UvAJxfPK94
— CNBC (@CNBC) April 17, 2019
Although having an energy secretary who was only recently made aware of what the department does is frightening, the idea of Trump choosing a replacement considering the first one he chose is even more frightening. Perry, apparently, is hoping his deputy secretary will survive. After all, when Nielson was ousted, her deputy secretary legally was entitled to the position. She was fired, too.
‘Perry has been preparing the agency’s deputy secretary, Dan Brouillette, for the transition, two people said. It’s unclear if Trump would name Brouillette as secretary.’
Flashback to July 2015: Rick Perry torched Donald Trump’s candidacy as a “cancer on conservatism” that’d obliterate the GOP; he vowed not to stand by and let it happen.
Then he ended his 2016 campaign, endorsed Donald Trump and took a job in his cabinet.https://t.co/EB6vu7XiFQ pic.twitter.com/9l88qG8dG0
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) April 18, 2019
Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license