In latest White House exit, Trump to lose counsel McGahn

[webfact]

In latest White House exit, Trump to lose counsel McGahn

By Roberta Rampton and Karen Freifeld

 

FILE PHOTO: White House Counsel Don McGahn sits behind U.S. President Donald Trump as the president holds a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S. June 21, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House counsel Don McGahn, whose relationship with President Donald Trump has been strained by the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, is set to leave the job in coming weeks.

 

Trump announced on Twitter on Wednesday that McGahn would step down after the U.S. Senate confirms the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. That was widely expected to occur before the court begins its next term in early October.

 

McGahn will be the latest senior adviser to leave Trump's side, underscoring the White House's persistent turmoil. But it also may open the way for a replacement who Trump would see as more willing to do battle against the Russia investigation team led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

 

McGahn did not know the president's tweet was coming, an administration official said, but he had been planning to leave the White House because he felt he had made his mark in getting conservatives named to federal judgeships, rolling back regulations and reeling in the bureaucracy.

 

Trump announced McGahn's departure less than two weeks after it was reported that McGahn had voluntarily cooperated with Mueller's probe into Russian meddling and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign. The president repeatedly has slammed the inquiry as a witch hunt.

 

In his interviews with Mueller's team, McGahn was asked about Trump's actions in firing FBI Director James Comey in 2017, the Washington Post has reported. Other topics included Trump's criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia probe, the Post said.

 

After sending his tweet, Trump told reporters at the White House that he has "a lot of affection for Don" and said he was not concerned about what McGahn told the Mueller team. "We do everything straight," he said. "We do everything by the book. And Don is an excellent guy."

 

Mueller's investigation already has resulted in guilty pleas for several Trump insiders, indictments, cooperation deals and one conviction.

 

Russia has denied meddling in the election.

 

POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS

Trump has not settled on a replacement for McGahn, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

 

There has been speculation the job would go to Emmett Flood, a veteran Washington lawyer who joined the White House in May to help with the Russia probe.

 

Flood has kept a low profile since then, but he is well-known for his scepticism about special investigations.

 

Two decades ago, he advised President Bill Clinton on impeachment proceedings stemming from Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr’s Whitewater probe.

 

"People like him," Sanders said of Flood. "He's super well-respected around the building but there's not a plan locked in place at this point."

 

Also in contention: Makan Delrahim, the Justice Department's top antitrust enforcer, who helped McGahn steer Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch through the Senate confirmation process, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unnamed source.

Delrahim did not respond to questions about the report.

 

Flood's Ivy League degree may give him an edge, said a person familiar with Trump's thinking. "Trump is obsessed with credentials for lawyers," the source said. "Delrahim went to a good school, but Emmet went to Yale."

 

However, Trump may want to keep Flood focused exclusively on the Russia probe rather than expanding his role, said Andrew Boutrous, a former federal prosecutor.

 

McGahn could not be reached for comment.

 

With his departure, he will become part of an unprecedented level of turnover among modern administrations studied by presidential scholars. Of Trump's top 27 aides listed on his first annual staff report to Congress, McGahn will be the 17th to depart.

 

It is not unusual for presidents to swap out general counsels. Democrat Bill Clinton went through six top legal aides in two terms in office; Democrat Barack Obama had four; Republican George W. Bush had three.

 

RESHAPING THE BENCH

With McGahn's help, Trump has reshaped the federal judiciary in a conservative direction, tilting the balance on the Supreme Court rightward, and filling a record-breaking number of seats on federal appeals courts. These successes have helped Trump build and retain support among Republican voters.

 

McGahn's record on judicial nominations prompted Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, to write in a tweet addressed to Trump: "U can't let that happen."

 

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell praised McGahn as "the most impressive White House Counsel during my time in Washington."

 

In one of his stormiest moments as White House lawyer, McGahn threatened to quit in June 2017 because he was "fed up" after Trump insisted he take steps to remove Mueller, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this year.

 

McGahn also was involved in the controversy surrounding Trump's firing of former national security adviser Michael Flynn. In January 2017, then-Acting Attorney General Sally Yates informed McGahn that Flynn had misled the FBI about his discussions with former Russian ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak. Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI.

 

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Diane Bartz, Susan Cornwell, Andrew Chung, Makini Brice, Brendan Pierson, Anthony Lin and Lisa Lambert; writing by Roberta Rampton; editing by Bill Trott and Richard Chang)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-30

[Becker]

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/29/politics/don-mcgahn-donald-trump-mueller/index.html

 

"Yes, Don McGahn leaving the White House is a very big deal"

[Tug]

Yea and his replacement is getting indicted in that Malaysian money laundering scheme you know our Donald only hires the best lol

[sungod]

I don't follow this as closely as some of you, but is there anyone still in a job in his administration who started on day 1 (Excluding Mr T of course)?

[spidermike007]

 

The art of I cannot make a deal to save my life. The art of losing talent in droves, and replacing them with sycophantic fools, devoid of talent or experience. Like The appointment of Lynne Patton, a wedding planner and longtime Trump family associate, to head the Housing and Urban Development's office for New York and New Jersey, and Kudlow, who he recently appointed as a chief economic advisor, because he talk smooth and looks good on TV. Good one Don. 

 

I really do believe either the Nitwit in Chief will continue his errant, offensive, heinous, nasty, callous, inconsiderate, condescending, indecent, horrifically stupid behavior, and get himself ousted by his own party. And if not, he and his party will be slaughtered in November, and once the Dems take over the house and the senate he will be a weak lame duck (he is already very, very weak and ineffective, he just does not know it!), and will be held to a higher standard, that of a diplomat and representative of the nation, and not a host of the Tiny Don Show. He is making enemies on an hourly basis, and cannot help himself. Hatred and venom is what this circus clown does best.

 

The art of not being able to fill vacancies, and leading a nation, without the help of key appointees. The Trump administration will usher in the second quarter of its presidential term with hundreds of vacancies still left to fill in departments throughout the administration. According to the Washington Post and Partnership for Public Service, only 241 key positions requiring Senate confirmation — out of 633 — have been confirmed as of Jan. 18, with 244 positions still without a nominee. The 633 key positions are a small portion of over 1,200 total positions requiring Senate confirmation, the Post noted. Trump’s sluggish staffing stands in stark contrast to his predecessors. According to the Post, Trump had 301 total confirmed nominees by Jan. 18, as compared with 452 confirmations by former President Barack Obama, 493 by George W. Bush and 471 by Bill Clinton at the same point in their terms. 

 

 

Tiny DT. The art of moving America backwards, and lowering the quality of life for the average American. 

The art of attempting to lead a nation, while being infected with the thinnest skin of a world leader, in history. 

The art of not having a diplomatic bone in his body, and destroying long held alliances, with hate, hubris and a horrible lack of intelligence, vision and talent.

Little Don. Avoiding the facts, the truth, and reality, and lying, fibbing, deflecting, and obfuscating, every moment, of every day of his life. 

The only people who have more skeletons in their closets than Tiny Don, are some of the Papuan Highlander cannibal tribes. 

 

 

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, sungod said:

I don't follow this as closely as some of you, but is there anyone still in a job in his administration who started on day 1 (Excluding Mr T of course)?

"started day one" excludes all officials that require Senate confirmation.

So as a quick answer would be his senior advisors Kushner and Ivanka and VP Pence.

For further answers the GAO identified 321 presidentially appointed (PA) positions government-wide that do not require Senate confirmation. PA positions fall into one of three categories:

• 67% of the positions serve on federal commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations;
• 29% of the positions are within the Executive Office of the President; and the remaining
• 4% are in other federal agencies or departments.

https://www.thoughtco.com/presidential-appointments-no-senate-required-3322124

[JAG]

10 hours ago, Srikcir said:

"started day one" excludes all officials that require Senate confirmation.

So as a quick answer would be his senior advisors Kushner and Ivanka and VP Pence.

For further answers the GAO identified 321 presidentially appointed (PA) positions government-wide that do not require Senate confirmation. PA positions fall into one of three categories:

• 67% of the positions serve on federal commissions, councils, committees, boards or foundations;
• 29% of the positions are within the Executive Office of the President; and the remaining
• 4% are in other federal agencies or departments.

https://www.thoughtco.com/presidential-appointments-no-senate-required-3322124

So basically people who were not required to have their backgrounds vetted?

 

Rather says it all doesn't it?

[Stargeezr]

In the Dinosaur world , first there was T-Rex and now we have T-Rump.

The saga continues.

Geezer

[mtls2005]

In his own words...

 

Ivanka definitely wanted him gone, after finding out he testified to Mueller...

 

 

 

 

 

 

White House staff addressing all the leaks...

 

 

[My Thai Life]

Obviously our US friends have the right to elect whomever they want.  But I had always assumed the President's job was fairly time consuming, and quite demanding.

 

How does he have time for twitter and the personal turmoil and the legal cases and the job?

 

And are those 100+ White House adviser jobs (I've forgotten the correct US political term) still unfilled?

[wayned]

23 hours ago, sungod said:

I don't follow this as closely as some of you, but is there anyone still in a job in his administration who started on day 1 (Excluding Mr T of course)?

The creator of the immigration policies is still there, Steven Miller,IMHO a true white supremacist!

[mtls2005]

41 minutes ago, My Thai Life said:

How does he have time for twitter and the personal turmoil and the legal cases and the job?

 

Tweeting, golfing and "rallying" seem to be his primary pursuits.

 

The "President stuff" he knocks out in ~ 15 minutes when he's in the mood.

 

 

[mtls2005]

Ouch. McGahn found out he was leaving by reading tRUmp's tweet. Classy.

 

 

 

 

 

[wayned]

48 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Ouch. McGahn found out he was leaving by reading tRUmp's tweet. Classy.

 

 

 

 

 

What did you expect, he has "bone spurs".  They have managed to multiply and have replaced his spine.  Has he ever fired anyone personnaly except on a TV show?

[mtls2005]

4 minutes ago, wayned said:

What did you expect, he has "bone spurs".  They have managed to multiply and have replaced his spine.  Has he ever fired anyone personnaly except on a TV show?

 

I guess I would have expected CoS Kelly to handle the dirty work? But maybe he only fires the black women woman?

 

 

[wayned]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

 

I guess I would have expected CoS Kelly to handle the dirty work? But maybe he only fires the black women woman?

 

 

When Kelly was first hired, I had hoped that he would straiten some things out, but  he let Trump politicize the death of his son and then he jumped in bed with Steven Miller to help create the immigration fiasco!