Former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said Monday he isn’t sure how much longer the president’s senior advisers will remain in their roles, fueling speculation about further changes to the president’s staff in the coming weeks.
Asked during an appearance on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” whether chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser H.R. McMaster are at risk of being fired, Priebus, who remains in touch with President Trump, couldn’t give a definitive answer.
“I think that guessing game is sort of like, you know, putting a couple dollars in the lottery. I just don’t know,” he said.
Kelly and McMaster have been the subject of intense speculation about Trump’s desire to shake up his West Wing staff. Both men were particularly close to outgoing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was fired last week after months of rumors about his job security and strained relationship with the president.
Priebus, who was replaced by Kelly last July, urged Trump on Monday to keep Kelly, the retired Marine general, in his current post.
“I think he’s doing a good job, and I also think that he’s good for our country. He’s good for the president,” Priebus said, adding that Kelly is handling the demands of the position well. “When a four-star combat Marine says it was the toughest job he’s ever had in his life, that tells you something.”
Kelly and Trump reportedly reached a truce last week after the president’s chief of staff drew scrutiny for his handling of domestic abuse allegations against ex-White House staff secretary Rob Porter. According to the Wall Street Journal, Kelly was assured by Trump that there would be no more personnel changes in the near future.
