Trump Announces Mick Mulvaney As Acting White House Chief Of Staff

President Trump says director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney will be acting White House chief of staff, replacing John Kelly at the end of the year.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

President Trump has tapped his budget director to serve as the next White House chief of staff on an interim basis. Mick Mulvaney replaces John Kelly, who's leaving at the end of this month. The announcement comes after several other high-profile candidates turned down the job. This will be Trump's third chief of staff in less than two years. NPR's Scott Horsley joins us from the White House. Hi, Scott.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: Hi, Ari.

SHAPIRO: We've heard Mick Mulvaney's name attached to a lot of titles in the last couple of years. Remind us who he is.

HORSLEY: He is a former South Carolina congressman. The White House hopes that will be an asset for the administration with his former colleagues on Capitol Hill. He's known as a fiscal conservative even though as budget director he has overseen a ballooning federal deficit. He's been budget director since the beginning of the Trump administration, and he also did double duty for a time as director of the Consumer Financial Watchdog Agency, a watchdog that he tried to keep on a very short leash. His replacement at that job was just confirmed by the Senate last week, so Mulvaney maybe had some time on his hands. Trump announced his appointment as acting chief of staff this evening via Twitter.

SHAPIRO: Tell us about that acting word before his title. Do we know if he's a candidate for the post permanently?

HORSLEY: A senior administration official was asked about that acting designation tonight and simply said that's what the president wants. There is no expiration date on the title, so for all intents and purposes, Mulvaney is the chief of staff for the time being. The officials said the president tapped him for the acting post because he likes Mulvaney and they get along. And there is some precedent, Ari, for Trump giving someone a tryout in an acting position and then after a period of time just promoting them to the permanent post.

SHAPIRO: The outgoing chief of staff, John Kelly, had a tough time during his 17 months in the job. And we know other people have said they've taken themselves out of the running. Do you think people are scared away from wanting this post?

HORSLEY: Well, Kelly's experience may have frightened some folks off. You know, the retired Marine general came in with high hopes of instilling military discipline here at the White House, but the president himself doesn't like being corralled. And over time, Kelly's control of the West Wing waned.

When Trump announced last Saturday that Kelly would be leaving at the end of the month, he thought he had a replacement all lined up, but the frontrunner, Vice President Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayres, abruptly dropped out. And as you mentioned, since then, we've had some other high-profile candidates say they're not interested, including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the U.S. trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, who's got his hands full with China talks. So it's possible Mulvaney can keep this job as long as he wants. The president said he looks forward to working with Mulvaney, and he also tweeted his thanks for outgoing chief of staff Kelly.

SHAPIRO: NPR's Scott Horsley speaking with us from the White House. Thank you.

HORSLEY: You're welcome.

Copyright © 2018 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.</s>WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's next chief of staff faces a daunting task – managing a president who doesn't like to be managed.

Whoever Trump picks will have to accommodate a boss who likes to stage events on a moment's notice, often overrides aides' advice, and makes policy and staff announcements by tweet.

Trump has made the chief of staff "a more difficult job than it's ever been," said Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution who specializes in White House staffing.

Chris Whipple, author of "The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency," said, "Trump is a president for whom focus and discipline are anathema" – yet those are the very qualities any chief of staff needs to instill in any administration.

"That's why it may be Mission Impossible," Whipple said.

Trump and aides said the president is close to a decision, with candidates including presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, and former campaign aide David Bossie.

"Really good ones," Trump said this week. "Terrific people. Mostly well known, but terrific people."

One candidate for the job – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie – issued a statement Friday saying “now is not the right time for me or my family to undertake this serious assignment."

The selection process began Saturday after Trump announced that current Chief of Staff John Kelly would be leaving by the end of the year. A day later, however, Trump's favorite for the job – Nick Ayers, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence – turned down the presidential job and said he planned to leave the administration instead.

The coming year will present new challenges for any chief of staff, given ongoing investigations of the administration, the Democratic takeover of the U.S. House, and Trump's tendency to chart his own course.

Just two of the outside pressures: Special counsel Robert Mueller continues to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election. And federal prosecutors in New York have implicated Trump in a scheme to pay hush money to women who claim to have had affairs with him, with the goal of keeping them quiet during election season and evading campaign finance laws.

Then there are the internal pressures that created problems for Trump's first two chiefs of staff, Reince Priebus and John Kelly.

Both tried to give structure of Trump's schedule and restrict access to him, officials said. But Trump used his cellphone to reach out to friends and informal advisers, allowing them to go around the chief of staff to make their cases directly to the president.

The results included sudden schedule or policy changes (and leaks to the news media).

Trump will be the first president to have three chiefs of staff in less than two years, assuming the new person starts before the Jan. 20 anniversary of his 2017 inauguration.

"The chief of staff job is very difficult in a normal time," said David Cohen, political scientist professor at the University of Akron. "Being chief of staff to Donald Trump is extremely challenging ... An impossible job became even more impossible."

A good chief of staff tells presidents hard truths and things they don't want to hear, Cohen and other analysts said, but Trump has not always been receptive to that sort of thing.

Trump has told aides he wants someone with a more political bent, both to cope with the Democratic House and to help prepare for the president's 2020 re-election campaign.

"It's not enough to have just a 2020 campaign manager," Whipple said. The chief of staff should be "someone who can help you govern effectively."

Trump has pushed back on the idea that some people don't want the job, saying he has a wealth of candidates for what has been, traditionally, one of the most sought-after jobs in government.

Boris Epshteyn, former special assistant to Trump at the White House, said many are eager to take the job, and that Trump is "a great boss to work for and with."

The president "gives those working for him a lot of leeway," said Epshteyn, now chief political analyst for Sinclair Broadcast Group. "It's a job many people would be honored to have."

Previous White House chiefs of staff have gone on to bigger and better things:
• Future Vice President Dick Cheney served as chief of staff for President Gerald Ford.
• James Baker, chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan, went on to be Treasury secretary and secretary of State (before returning to the chief's job for his long-term patron, President George H.W. Bush).

Trump's men, Priebus and Kelly, probably haven't had their reputations enhanced by their White House service, analysts said, something their potential replacements will have to consider.

"You can't ignore what two chiefs of staff went through," Dunn Tenpas said.

She joked that Trump might as well change the title.

"He's not hiring a chief of staff in the traditional sense," she said. "Just call it 'aide to the president.'"</s>Donald Trump has found his replacement for White House Chief of Staff.

Six days after confirming John Kelly’s exit, the president named Mick Mulvaney, a former Republican congressman from South Carolina, as the next successor.

“I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration,” Trump wrote in his first of two statements on Twitter.

“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. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!” he continued.

Trump did not specify if Mulvaney, 51, will remain as director of the Office of Management and Budget.

RELATED: Embattled Chief of Staff John Kelly Will Leave Job at End of the Year, Says Trump

On Dec. 8, Trump told reporters at an Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia that Kelly will be leaving the administration at the end of the year. News of Kelly’s departure came after the retired general was expected to resign following a tumultuous battle in the White House with the president.

Kelly held the position of chief of staff for nearly 17 months after he replaced Reince Priebus in July 2017.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Mark Meadows, and Vice President Mike Pence’s top aide Nick Ayers all turned down the chief of staff position as reported by multiple outlets.

RELATED: Trump Says ‘Over 10’ People Want to Be Chief of Staff Amid Reports of Struggle to Find Replacement

On Thursday, Trump told Fox News that his choice for chief of staff would be “somebody that’s strong but I want somebody that thinks like I do.”

Before news of Mulvaney’s appointment was made public, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is currently a senior advisor to the president, was a contender.

Kushner, who is married to the president’s daughter and senior advisor Ivanka Trump, met with Trump on Wednesday to discuss the position, according to CBS. In addition, an anonymous source told Reuters that recently “numerous people” have recommended that Kushner fill the role because he is close to Trump and has had successes, like helping to create new trade deals with Canada and Mexico.</s>President Donald Trump named Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as acting White House Chief of Staff to replace outgoing General John Kelly on his Twitter account Friday evening.

“I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration,” Trump wrote.

He thanked Kelly for serving as Chief of Staff and welcomed Mulvaney as incoming Acting Chief of Staff. Kelly will serve until the end of the year. The president went on, “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. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!”

A senior administration official told White House reporters of the Mulvaney announcement, “There’s no time limit. He’s the acting chief of staff, which means he’s the chief of staff. He got picked because the president liked him they get along.” The official referred to Mulvaney’s prior experience as a congressman. “He knows Congress. He knows Capitol Hill,” the official said. “He knows Congress. He knows Capitol Hill.”

The official called Mulvaney “fiscally responsible.” According to the official, Mulvaney was informed of the decision separate from the president’s tweet and me with the president today at the White House. Further, the official said Kelly was pleased with the choice: “The current chief is happy. The current chief is fine. The current chief will stay till the end of the year.”

Ross Vought will serve as Mulvaney’s replacement as OMB Director.

“Mick was over here today working on budget stuff,” the official clarified. “They met face to face this afternoon.” The official responded to a question about why the president specified Mulvaney as “acting” chief: “Because that’s what the president wants.”

Another administration official added, “We’ll see… It’s what the president wants right now and, if we have anything else we’ll let you know.”

Michelle Moons is a White House Correspondent for Breitbart News — follow on Twitter @MichelleDiana and Facebook</s>After a week of drama over the question of who would replace John Kelly as the White House chief of staff, Donald Trump has announced that he will name Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction,” Trump said in a tweet Friday afternoon. “Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration…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. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!”

It’s unclear what exactly Trump means by “acting” chief of staff. The position is not a Senate-approved one, and the president can therefore appoint whoever he wants on a permanent basis. The choice of words may signal his and Mulvaney’s understanding of the appointment as a short-term one, but, according to the Associated Press, Mulvaney’s term will be open-ended. On Sunday, news outlets reported that Nick Ayers, Mike Pence’s chief of staff, declined an offer from Trump, as he was unwilling to commit to two years in the job as the president demanded. According to CNN, Ayers had wanted to be an “acting” chief of staff, to take the position on an interim basis for a few months. Trump rejected that counterproposal.

Mulvaney, who also led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an body he once tried to eliminate, has long been a hardline conservative—he was elected to the House of Representatives as part of the Tea Party movement—and a fervent Trump supporter. In his role for the administration, he has worked to curtail regulations on financial institutions and, as budget director, slash the budget, particularly entitlement programs. (He once called cutting aid to the poor “compassionate.”)

Mulvaney will be the president’s third chief of staff in two years. Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, was fired by Trump last week. Trump’s first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, served for six months before leaving in July 2017. According to Bloomberg, OMB Deputy Director Russell Vought will replace Mulvaney as head of the office.

Just hours before the Mulvaney announcement, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was rumored to be up for the chief of staff job, took himself out of the running, joining Rep. Mark Meadows in doing so. The string of rejections by potential candidates for one of the most powerful jobs in politics appeared to underline the image of chaos in the White House at a time when Trump is being investigated for his campaign’s ties to Russia and his own participation in hush payments to women who alleged affairs with him.</s>WASHINGTON (CBS NEWS) – The White House chief of staff sweepstakes is over for the moment — and Mick Mulvaney is the winner, President Trump announced on Twitter Friday.

Mulvaney is currently the director of the Office of Management and Budget, a role he’ll be giving up for this job, and he was also recently the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He will replace outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly, who is set to leave at the end of the year.</s>Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John Kelly in new year

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John Kelly in new year.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John Kelly in new year.</s>Current White House budget director Mick Mulvaney has been appointed acting chief of staff to President Donald Trump.</s>I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018

....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. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018

Office of Management & Budget Director Mick Mulvaney has been tapped to serve as the White House's acting chief of staff, President Donald Trump announced Friday."Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration...I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump tweeted.Trump deemed Mulvaney his "acting chief of staff" but it was not immediately clear what that meant for the length of his tenure.Mulvaney succeeds Gen. John Kelly, who is set to depart at the end of the year. Kelly's departure was announced Dec. 8.The president's first choice was Nick Ayers, the vice president's chief of staff, who bowed out after being unable to come to an agreement on how long he would serve in the post.
President Donald Trump appoints incumbent Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney as Acting White House Chief of Staff, to replace John F. Kelly at the end of the year.