Page 4 - aruba-today-20180901

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 1 September 2018

White House faces brain drain at perilous moment

WASHINGTON (AP) — In- not only for a Trump White
creasingly convinced that House but for what the next
the West Wing is wholly un- couple of years will be like,"
prepared to handle the ex- said former White House
pected assault from Demo- press secretary Sean Spic-
crats if they win the House er.
in November, President But like other White House
Donald Trump's aides and departments, the effort to
allies are privately raising fill jobs is proving difficult.
alarm as his circle of legal Qualified candidates are
and communications ad- steering clear of the vola-
visers continues to shrink. tile West Wing, ignoring
With vacancies abound- pleas from Shine and oth-
ing in the White House and ers to join the administra-
more departures on the ho- tion over fears to their repu-
rizon, there is growing con- tation and even potential
cern among Trump allies legal exposure, according
that the brain drain at the to current and former of-
center of the administra- ficials and one candidate
tion could hardly come at approached by the White
a more perilous time. Spe- House. Those people and
cial counsel Robert Muel- others spoke on condition
ler's swirling probe of Rus- of anonymity to discuss
sian election interference In this Feb. 22, 2018, file photo White House counsel Don McGahn speaks at the Conservative private deliberations and
and potential obstruction Political Action Conference (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md. conversations.
of justice by Trump has Associated Press Others are wary of joining
reached ever closer to the the team to defend the
Oval Office, and the up- White House staffers and about estranging col- lowed out. president, knowing full well
coming midterm elections administration allies ex- leagues. The staffing shortage and he will often ignore their
could grant his political pressed concerns Thursday Attrition, job changes and struggles to recruit top-flight advice or could turn on
adversaries the power of that the West Wing is simply firings have taken their toll talent have left the White them by tweet.
subpoena or, more worry- unprepared for the poten- across the White House, but House ill-prepared to han- A White House official dis-
ingly, the votes to attempt tial troubles ahead. They their impact has been felt dle the legal onslaught that puted that the administra-
impeachment. spoke on the condition of particularly in the commu- may come when Mueller tion has had difficulty fill-
Nine current and former anonymity over concerns nications and legal shops — issues an expected report ing positions with talented
two departments crucial to summarizing his findings people.
Trump staving off the loom- and the flood of congres- Trump allies have long
ing threats. The upcoming sional investigations that boasted that he was his
departure of White House could follow a Democratic own political consultant
counsel Don McGahn has takeover of the House. during the 2016 campaign
highlighted the challenges Former Fox News execu- and serves as his own com-
in an office that has shrunk tive Bill Shine, who joined munications director inside
by a third since last year. the White House earlier this the White House, but they
McGahn's former chief of summer as communica- are increasingly caution-
staff, deputy counsel An- tions director and deputy ing him that he can't be his
nie Donaldson, is also ex- chief of staff, is looking to own attorney as well.
pected to leave soon af- rebuild a shrunken media Indeed, his outside legal
ter McGahn departs, two affairs team in anticipation team reached out to some
staffers said. Similarly, the of the challenges ahead. of Washington's most prom-
White House press office is Shine is said to be looking inent attorneys, including
down to four press secre- for seasoned communica- Supreme Court litigator Ted
taries working on day-to- tions professionals to han- Olson, before former New
day White House matters, dle both Mueller-related York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
including Sarah Huckabee questions and congressio- — a longtime friend of the
Sanders, and the regional nal oversight requests. president whose erratic
and Cabinet affairs media "He's doing a lot of think- television interviews have
teams in the communica- ing about how to prop- defined his tenure — joined
tions office have been hol- erly structure everything, the team in April. q