Trump poised to cut loose the ‘no men’ who rein him in on #firingfriday
DONALD TRUMP’S patience with his administration’s “no men” appeared finally up last night as speculation of imminent sackings entered overdrive.
The US president was reportedly on the brink of dismissing a string of moderating figures who have hemmed in his hardline instincts over the past year.
HR Mcmaster, the three-star general who is Mr Trump’s national security adviser, was at the top of the hit list after months of fraught relations between the pair. John Kelly, another military man seen as a restraining influence as chief of staff, and Jeff Sessions, the beleaguered attorney general, were also reportedly in the firing line.
But Mr Trump’s frustration also included cabinet members hit by sleaze allegations and White House aides who have got on his nerves, according to numerous US media reports.
Washington was braced for a shakeup yesterday, with #firingfriday circulating on social media and aides admitting privately that no one knew what Mr Trump had planned.
The president has hinted at more moves to come in public, admitting recently: “There will always be change, and I think you want to see change.”
Mr Trump’s renewed confidence appears to partly explain recent personnel changes, with reports suggesting the president feels more settled after 14 months in the job. His first cabinet was packed with “grown-ups” rather than yes men, helping guide the first-time politician through the challenges of office. But recent upheavals hint at a change in approach.
Rex Tillerson, who as secretary of state opposed Mr Trump’s desire to rip up the Iran nuclear deal and rattle sabres over North Korea, has been replaced by Mike Pompeo, the CIA head who has “chemistry” with the president. Gary Cohn, the ex-wall Street titan who quit as Mr Trump’s economics adviser over steel tariffs, has been replaced by Larry Kudlow, a TV commentator reportedly willing to swallow his initial opposition to trade barriers.
Others waiting in the wings are aligned to the president’s views, not least John Bolton, the ex-un ambassador under George W Bush, said to be first in line to replace Mr Mcmaster.
Mr Bolton, 69, was in the Oval Office last week and is renowned as a foreign policy hawk, writing a piece last month headlined “The Legal Case for Striking North Korea First.”
He has caught the president’s eye for another reason too – Mr Bolton regularly appears on Fox News, Mr Trump’s favourite cable news channel.
Sarah Sanders, Mr Trump’s press secretary, said chief of staff John Kelly had spoken with White House staff on Friday morning. She said Mr Kelly “reassured them there were no immediate personnel changes at this time and that people shouldn’t be concerned”.
Mrs Sanders said she spoke to the president about General Mcmaster on Thursday night and he had “no intention of changing” and “looked forward to continuing working with him”.
The fervent speculation comes after weeks of mounting sleaze allegations.
David Shulkin, Mr Trump’s veterans’ affairs secretary, was forced to deny he attempted to bring his wife to the Invictus Games in Canada to meet Prince Harry. It followed an Inspector General’s report that concluded Mr Shulkin should reimburse the cost of his wife’s taxpayer-funded flight to London, which also saw him improperly accept Wimbledon tickets.
Other cabinet members have been stung by similar scandals. Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, spent nearly $1 million on eight trips on military aircraft last year, including one to Las Vegas. Ben Carson, the Housing Secretary, has been under fire over an order for a new $31,000 dining set for his office, which was later cancelled.