You, there — you’re new chief of staff
Struggling to find anyone who wants the job, President Trump on Friday tapped Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff — even though he already serves in two high-ranking government positions.
Mulvaney, who's part of Trump's cabinet as the management and budget director and also the acting czar of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will add chief of staff duties to his already crammed schedule when John Kelly steps down at the end of the year, Trump said.
“Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration,” Trump tweeted. “I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! John will be staying until the end of the year.”
It was not immediately clear if Mulvaney will step down from either of his other two jobs or if his “acting” chief of staff status will at some point be made permanent.
The announcement comes after Nick Ayers, an aide to Vice President Pence and Trump's preferred chief of staff candidate, unexpectedly announced he'll be leaving the White House at the end of the year.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was also under consideration for the gate-keeping White House post, followed suit and issued a statement earlier Friday announcing he wouldn't take the job even if Trump offered it.
In previous administrations, the chief of staff job has been sought-after, but the demanding, behind-the-scenes gig has seemingly been less attractive in light of the mounting legal headaches facing this President.
In addition to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, Trump is facing state and federal probes into his inaugural committee, his real estate company and his namesake foundation.