A wave of Trump administration departures is expected after midterm election votes are counted Tuesday, as speculation swirls within the White House and among President Trump’s outside supporters.
Some aides are expected to join Trump’s re-election campaign, as long-embattled officials run out their welcome or skip town to avoid congressional probes if Democrats retake the House.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a lot of turnover. That’s pretty natural after your first midterm,” said American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp. “It’s going to be two years toward re-election, and everyone who serves in a senior-level capacity has to be able to deal with the intensity of that dynamic.”
In the run-up to the election, there was notable employment stability within an administration noted for high turnover.
Almost as soon as the election concludes, the heavy focus will be on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who Trump openly regretted nominating. Sources close to the White House aren’t sure, however, whether to expect his termination by midnight tweet or an announcement at some future point.
With Sessions, there’s some speculation that he will be fired with flair, akin to former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s send-off in March, which Trump announced on Twitter. Chief of staff John Kelly later clarified in leaked remarks that Tillerson wasn’t fired on Twitter, but instead was fired on the phone as he sat on an African toilet, suffering from diarrhea.
Trump’s simmering rage at Sessions, who recused himself of oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller’s sprawling Russia investigation, has repeatedly been calmed by aides, though Trump has pointedly declined to affirm his post-election job security.
“Everyone is saying he’s gone, which makes me think there won’t be an immediate ouster,” said a source close to Trump, who requested not to be identified. “Trump won’t want to let the media be right here,” he said.
Other members of Trump’s Cabinet could be on their way out, including Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who was referred by his department’s inspector general for Justice Department investigation over possibly blurring personal interests and official actions.
Some departures may hinge on the election outcome. Democrats are widely expected to reclaim control of the House, giving them broad investigatory powers, but prognosticators humbled by inaccurate 2016 polling are careful to outline a possible GOP victory.
Although not entangled in scandal, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, has discussed leaving if Democrats reclaim the House, according to a source who was briefed by someone with firsthand knowledge.
Perry “just wants to do his job,” the person said, rather than deal with aggressive congressional inquiries. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, embroiled in scandal over a decision to order a $31,000 office dining set, has receded from national headlines, but also is considered one of the most likely Cabinet secretaries to depart.
Spokespeople for Sessions, Zinke, Perry, and Carson did not respond to requests for comment.
Within the White House, additional turnover is expected, though the fate of high-profile figures remains subject to palace intrigue.
Kelly, the chief of staff credited with imposing stability and reducing internal feuding, was offered his job through 2020 by Trump in July, but leaks involving a shouting match with national security adviser John Bolton and a physical altercation with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, are seen as a potential campaign for his ouster.
One White House official widely expected to depart is Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah, who took the lead communications role supporting Brett Kavanaugh’s turbulent but successful nomination to the Supreme Court.
Shah, who lost his West Wing office when White House Communications Director Bill Shine arrived in July, reportedly intended to leave after Kavanaugh was confirmed in early October, but has not officially departed. In an email, Shah declined to comment on his plans.
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway’s future also is subject to speculation. The frequent on-air Trump surrogate, his final 2016 campaign manager, removed her White House title from her Twitter bio last week, generating significant speculation that she would take a role with Trump’s re-election campaign.
Conway suggested in text messages to the Washington Examiner that she plans to remain in her senior White House role. “Why would you think otherwise?” Conway wrote in a text message. “Are you staying put?”
Press secretary Sarah Sanders, who shared a campaign stage with Conway on Monday evening to encourage Republican votes in the midterm elections, has served more than a year in her position, but also is seen as a potential asset for Trump’s re-election campaign, though there’s no indication that the leading spokeswoman will depart the White House anytime soon.
Schlapp, who is married to White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp, said he had no special insight, but that Sanders could be an exceptional campaign aide as the 2020 race heats up.
“I don’t know what her plans are or what the campaign’s plan is, but one of Sarah’s great strengths is she comes to the table with extensive political and campaign experience, and if she were to get those types of responsibilities in the re-elect, she would perform well with them,” he said.
Mid-level staff unfamiliar to the general public are expected to depart, too, reportedly including the recently-married deputy chief of staff Johnny DeStefano, a frequent traveling companion of the president, and Office of Public Liaison director Justin Clark, who is expected to advise the re-election campaign.
The top White House attorney position is in the midst of a transition, with incoming White House Counsel Pat Cipollone’s relationship with Trump yet to be tested as replaces Don McGahn in that office, which handles everything from pardon paperwork to legal advice for the president. The office is expected to see some staffing changes.
But despite speculation about bottled-up staff changes, there’s also a chance of relative stability as Trump already has parted with many aides and Cabinet secretaries with whom he had cool relations. Recently added White House officials including national security adviser John Bolton and chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow are widely seen as hiring successes, and appear likely to remain.
“This White House has probably had more departures than the average,” said one former White House official. “There’s always an expectation in the media to say, ‘What’s going to be the long list of people checking out after the first midterms?’ In this case, there will be some of that. But I think it’s probably not as dramatic as other White Houses because there’s been turnover throughout.”
