White House chief of staff John Kelly has instituted restrictions on which family members of President Trump can visit him on a whim in the Oval Office, according to a report Thursday.
Trump’s wife, Melania, and 11-year-old son, Barron, are exceptions to Kelly’s new West Wing policy, the New York Times reported.
The family members who will no longer have unrestricted access are his daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom work for Trump as aides. For Ivanka, if she is looking to talk to her father as his daughter and not a staff member, then she too can be an exception.
Both she and Kushner quickly submitted to Kelly’s system, two White House officials told the Times. Access to Trump, previously unrestricted, will now be done by appointment.
Recently departed White House chief strategist Steve Bannon welcomed Kelly as chief of staff after he transitioned over from the Homeland Security Department, where he was secretary. “Those days are over when Ivanka can run in and lay her head on the desk and cry,” Bannon reportedly told multiple people, according to the Times. Bannon had grappled with “Javanka” — his nickname Ivanka and Kushner — over their influence over the president.
Kelly became Trump’s chief of staff at the end of July, replacing Reince Priebus. Both the Times and Politico reported Thursday that Kelly and White House staff secretary Rob Porter recently issued two memos establishing how policy documents and memos sent to his desk are now done so on a restricted basis.
