Trump's Chief of Staff post in the air after his top pick refuses to replace Kelly
Nick Ayers, Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence, says he will not take the position of Chief of Staff, after reportedly failing to agree with Trump about the terms.
Ayer’s refusal adds to uncertainty at the White House, as the 36-year-old prepares to leave the administration leaving it unclear who will take over John Kelly. With the Democrats prepared to take control of the House next month, Trump is pressed for time in selecting competent staff.
Ayers reportedly told the president he would only take the position on a temporary basis until spring, while the president pushed for a two-year commitment. His refusal leaves Trump in search of a permanent replacement going into the beginning of the 2020 campaign season. Ayers will instead be moving to Georgia to work with a Republican super PAC.
Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. 🇺🇸 #Georgia
— Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018
I am in the process of interviewing some really great people for the position of White House Chief of Staff. Fake News has been saying with certainty it was Nick Ayers, a spectacular person who will always be with our #MAGA agenda. I will be making a decision soon!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 10, 2018
Trump announced Saturday that his former secretary of Homeland Security and White House chief of staff John Kelly would be leaving at the end of the year. Although Trump’s relationship with Kelly remains cordial on the surface, some sources suggest it had been steadily deteriorating. Trump said he would name a replacement “over the next day or two.”
Kelly’s ouster is just the latest in a presidency plagued with firings and resignations, often made more bitter by the ex-staffers personal feuds with Trump. On Friday, Trump published a tweet calling his former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “dumb as a rock”. While several State Department positions remain unfilled, Trump has made some questionable picks for high-level positions, including the selection of Heather Nauert, a former Fox News anchor, as ambassador to the UN.
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