Trump considering several candidates for chief of staff - sources

[webfact]

Trump considering several candidates for chief of staff - sources

By Jeff Mason

 

FILE PHOTO: Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) speaks to reporters as he arrives as former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos gives a voluntary, transcribed interview behind closed doors before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, U.S., October 25, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump is considering Republican Representative Mark Meadows, former campaign adviser David Bossie, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for White House chief of staff, a source familiar with the search said on Monday.

 

Another source said Trump was also looking at U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for the job.

 

The search comes after the president's initial choice for the job, Nick Ayers, bowed out on Sunday and as the White House braces for an onslaught of political and legal challenges in the coming year.

 

On Saturday, Trump said his current chief of staff, retired General John Kelly, would be leaving the White House at the end of the year. The two men had clashed for months.

 

Ayers, who is Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, had agreed to come on for an interim period but declined to commit to stay for the remaining two years of Trump's term.

 

The new chief of staff will have to navigate a challenging political environment as Trump begins his third year in office and prepares for a 2020 re-election campaign.

 

Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in January, and U.S. prosecutors are intensifying their probe into potential collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. Trump has denied any collusion, while calling the probe a "witch hunt."

 

A White House official said Trump was considering four people for the position, but declined to give names.

 

Other names that have come up for the job include Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, but a person familiar with Mnuchin's thinking said he believed he could serve better in his current position.

 

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney is no longer interested in the job, said a source close to him, adding he would prefer to serve at the Department of Commerce or Treasury "if that's where the president needed him." Neither of those Cabinet-level secretary jobs is open at the moment.

 

Lighthizer has gained prominence in the administration for his handling of trade negotiations. He is the point person for talks between the administration and China over trade, an issue likely to dominate the first part of 2019 and beyond.

 

"The argument for Lighthizer is he'll be able to navigate trade negotiations - which could be a defining part of the presidency, and has run a major company," said one official familiar with the process. "The argument for Meadows is (Trump) ultimately wants a political strategist going into 2020 - which Mark is."

 

Meadows said in an interview with Fox News Channel that he had not had a conversation with Trump about the opening since Ayers declined the offer, but added that serving as chief of staff was an honour and he was "favourably inclined to at least have a discussion with the president."

 

Trump is expected to make a decision about the position by the end of the year.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Steve Holland and Makini Brice; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-11

[Thakkar]

All prospective candidates must be thinking, in their own way, of that proverb derived from a line written by Geoffrey Chaucer in ‘The Squieres Tale’

 

He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon.

 

 

[neeray]

This job is ideally suited to a "yes-sir-fireman".

(sorry ladies but the candidates so far are all men)

"YES" .... This president would only want a "yes man" as his chief of staff. One who would do as he is told, yes sir Mr President. Otherwise, YOU'RE FIRED.

Fireman .... The new chief of staff will be expected to act as a "fireman" and put out the many fires started by his boss (and the hundreds already burning).

 

I suggest Rudy Giuliani as a pick. He is good at kissing ass and talking out of both sides of his mouth (before even thinking).

 

[DM07]

Hannity would do it!

As soon as he get's his lips of Trumps hole on the backside!

[Thakkar]

46 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Hannity would do it!

As soon as he get's his lips of Trumps hole on the backside!

Hey! That is a disparagement. Hannity is capable of doing both at the same time.

[Thakkar]

Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono)

12/11/18, 6:21 AM

Remember when Trump bragged for 2 years that he only hires the best people and now the sole qualification for his next Chief of Staff is “desperate enough to accept job"

[geriatrickid]

Potential nominees;

1. Dennis Rodman. Qualifications: Unstable, but Afro American, so he could  show that the POTUS knows his people...

 

2. Amber from Scores NYC; Qualifications: 

Measurements: 34D 24 34 / Eye Color: Hazel /  Height: 5’7 Hobbies: Tennis, Yoga & Playing Tag Football with the boys! What I like in a guy: A guy that doesn’t mind getting dirty once in awhile 

 

3. Whitaker, that bald  guy who claims everything is a conspiracy against the Trump; Qualifications: He's a lawyer.

 

4. Natasha A hottie from Scores strip club, NYC; Qualifications: Measurements: 34B 27 34 / Eye Color: Blue

Height: 5’7 / Hobbies: Loves to travel especially to sunnier, warmer climates What I like in a guy: A real jetsetter

 

5. Boris Badenov; Qualifications- Educated in the Pottsylvania public schools before taking a scoundrelship to U.S.C. (the University of Safe Cracking), from which he graduated magna cum louse.

[Boon Mee]

Mark Meadows will make a fine Chief of Staff. 

[klauskunkel]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump considering several candidates for chief of staff

I'm sure he does, but are those candidates considering Trump for their boss?

[keemapoot]

2 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

I'm sure he does, but are those candidates considering Trump for their boss?

I'm sure the candidates are asking themselves these questions and considering along these lines:

1. What is the value of future offers I can get if I serve 3 months to a year vs. how much damage it will do to my career to be affiliated with a possibly soon-to-be disgraced and impeached President;

2. How much public humiliation can I endure at the hands of Trump when things go south, as they inevitably will;

3. How much do I want this job given the hell that is about to descend on the White House and that I will not have much of a life soon putting out fires for Individual-1? This deliberation will be mitigated if the President gets re-elected because there will be no indictment at that point due to statute of limitations.

4. To what extent can I afford to retain a good lawyer (serious issue that every staff member will face) that can protect me against both being implicated and covering for Individual-1, and at the same time facing the wrath of Individual-1 once he becomes my enemy?

 

Apart from those issues/opportunities/concerns, I'm sure any Republican would love the chance to serve.

 

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Mark Meadows will make a fine Chief of Staff. 

Absolutely.

As a Representative of the House he can help Trump navigate the House impeachment proceedings next year.

[Jonnapat]

But nobody wants the job and who can blame them.

[mamypoko]

David Duke?

[Dolmance]

Anyone who would take a job with that human colostomy bag is as dumb as he is.

[sirineou]

IMO Chris Christie will accept and be offered the position. He has no reputation left  to protect. Well he does have reputation but its all bad, a stint at Trump's administration is sure to add to that. 

[balo]

If Trump could choose from his qualified top list his wife Melanie would be number one , followed by Donald Trump Jr.

 

[joecoolfrog]

Im sure all the candidates will get the following briefing ( to paraphrase President Kennedy ) ;

" Ask yourself not what is best for your country but what is best for Donald Trump ".

[connda]

He should put Hillery back in the seat.  ????

[Tug]

What a mission impossible to be Donald’s boot licking tody excuse man or woman no one in ther right mind would want to be associated with Donald general Kelley tryed in his way to rescue Donald all can see what it got him still hoping someone snaps his neck or the cheese burgers catch up to him

[Langsuan Man]

I can't believe the astute posters here at Thai Visa missed the most obvious choice:

 

 

[Thakkar]

18 hours ago, balo said:

If Trump could choose from his qualified top list his wife Melanie would be number one , followed by Donald Trump Jr.

 

 

As one wit said, he would choose Barron because:

1) Looks like him and

2) too young to be criminally charged when the prosecutions start flying

 

Anyway, just heard that Rick “the dick” Santorum turned down an offer for Chief of Staff job. The man who ran for president, implicitly declaring that he can be leader of the free world, now implicitly saying he can’t even handle the sh!tshow that is the Trump administration. 

[quandow]

[Credo]

Historically, the Chief of Staff job is one of the most prestigious jobs in the White House.   With it comes, an immense amount of respect and a successful CoS has a bright future ahead.   

 

Trump has reduced this influential job to an extremely low level.   I don't think anyone can successfully run the WH.   He might want to look for someone who has previous experience in running an insane asylum.