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U.S. NEWS Saturday 17 March 2018

As rumors of an exodus swirl, White House pushes back

By JONATHAN LEMIRE president last night,” Sand-
CATHERINE LUCEY ers said. “He asked me to
JILL COLVIN pass that message along
Associated Press to Gen. McMaster. I know
WASHINGTON (AP) — With the two of them have been
whispers of a staffing purge in meetings today.”
permeating the West Wing, McMaster, for his part, said
the White House pushed Sanders had “set it straight”
back Friday and insisted but struck a slightly differ-
that reports of tumult and ent tone. But the air of sta-
imminent departures are bility the White House tried
overblown. to project felt more like a
Chief of staff John Kelly, pause than a permanent
himself the subject of ru- shift.
mors that his days are num-
bered, assured a group of White House Chief of Staff John
staffers their jobs were safe, Kelly, left, Ivanka Trump, and
at least for now. White House senior adviser Jar-
ed Kushner listen as President
“The chief of staff actu- Donald Trump speaks during a
ally spoke to a number of cabinet meeting at the White
staff this morning reassur- House in Washington.
ing them that there were (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
no immediate personnel
changes at this time and Trump is privately weighing
that people shouldn’t be still more changes, express-
concerned,” said press ing frustration with some
secretary Sarah Huckabee aides and sifting through
Sanders. possible replacements. Re-
But days after President ports of tumult in the ad-
Donald Trump’s secretary ministration were at such
of state was ousted, many a feverish pitch — even on
close to the president think Trump’s beloved Fox News
more upheaval is coming — that the president on
soon. Thursday reflected on the
Trump has been moving latest staff departures dur-
toward replacing national ing an Oval Office conver-
security adviser H.R. Mc- sation with Kelly and Vice
Master but has not settled President Mike Pence.
on exact timing or a suc- With a laugh, Trump said:
cessor, according to four “Who’s next?”
people with knowledge of It’s a question that has
White House deliberations. the whole White House on
Kelly has also worn on the edge.
president, confidants of the Kelly has told confidants
president said. And Veter- that he believes he can
ans Affairs Secretary David weather the current storm.
Shulkin, under fire for ethics But he has grown increas-
violations, appears to be ingly frustrated with the
grasping to keep his job. constant turmoil in the
With speculation about West Wing, believing at
McMaster’s future par- times that Trump intention-
ticularly intense, Sanders ally fuels the chaos to keep
gave multiple reassurances his staff on its toes and his
about the national security name in headlines, ac-
adviser — first in a tweet cording to a person famil-
Thursday and then from the iar with the chief of staff’s
briefing room podium the thinking. The person wasn’t
next day. She said Trump authorized to speak public-
had indicated that no ly about private conversa-
changes were coming. tions and spoke on condi-
“I spoke directly to the tion of anonymity.q