Trump has issues with strong women. He has had Secretary Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kirstjen Nielsen on his hit list for months. He told people around him that she did not enforce his stricter immigration policies. The rate of turnover in Donald Trump’s administration has been truly breathtaking.
The only thing that has saved Nielsen in the past has been Chief of Staff, General John Kelly threatening that he would resign. After all, he was Nielsen’s mentor, and he was also the Secretary of DHS before moving over to chief of staff position. Yet, POTUS may have found a solution to his problem.
The man currently sitting in the Oval Office could just let both Nielsen and Kelly go.In fact, the two have considered leaving together at times. Trump seemingly has been considering a new chief of staff. Right now, Vice President Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff Nick Ayers is most likely that person.
Life has not been easy for either Kelly or Nielsen working for such a mercurial man as this president. There was news of a shouting match between Kelly and National Security Adviser John Bolton regarding immigration. Apparently, the issue was the president’s dissatisfaction with Nielsen’s job performance.
Given that this DHS has separated toddlers from their immigrant parents lawfully seeking asylum and placed them in cages at the president’s request, has she not been cruel enough for Trump?
According to a senior administration official:
‘There’s no love lost between either of them (Nielsen and Trump). All that has kept Nielsen on was not her loyalty to the president but desire to protect the department from his whims and to let her people do their jobs.’
DHS spokesperson, Tyler Houlton, released a statement that said in part:
‘The Secretary is honored to lead the men and women of DHS and is committed to implementing the President’s security-focused agenda to protect Americans from all threats and will continue to do so.’
Nielsen only reason for staying was because she wanted to protect her DHS department and the people who worked for her from the president.
Ayers and Trump have been meeting recently to discuss the 36-year-old moving into Kelly’s job. On election night, the two men spent time together in the White House as they watched the returns come in. Ayers has worked for Pence for a years and that has linked him to the president more closely than some.
Apparently, the younger man is a good politician in that he also became close to the whole Trump family, especially POTUS’s favorite daughter, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner. The president appears to appreciate his detailed political planning for Pence’s midterm strategies. especially since the president believes that is something he feels Kelly lacks.
Some White House sources say that Kelly’s relationship with the president has cooled. However, the chief of staff said that he planned on staying until 2020. Generally, Kelly has been the one tasked with firing staff, so it should be interesting watching this play out.
A chief of staff is responsible for taking care of the president, down to preparing his schedule.
Featured image in a screenshot via YouTube.
