As the White House was scurrying for a second day in a search of a new chief of staff, author Chris Whipple said what many of us were thinking: “Why would anybody want to be Donald Trump’s chief of staff unless you want to steal the office supplies before they shut the place down?”
It’s a completely reasonable question to ask. James Baker, who served as chief of staff during President Ronald Reagan’s first term, famously referred to the position as “the worst fucking job in government.” If you’re unfortunate enough to serve in that capacity, you’re lucky to get out of the West Wing for a late dinner. Twelve-hour workdays are the norm rather than the exception. You’re one of the first to enter the White House gates in the morning and one of the last to leave at night. The job is excruciating to watch from the outside, let alone do.
If the president mucks it up, the chief of staff is often ordered to take responsibility. When the Iran-Contra scandal blew up in Reagan’s face in November 1986, White House pointman Don Regan was the fall guy. When President Bill Clinton’s White House was coming apart at the seams during the first term, fingers pointed at chief of staff Mack McLarty, who resigned after less than 18 months.
President Trump hasn’t exactly made the job any easier. If being the top White House staffer on a good day entailed a gruesome number of tasks (from defending the president’s interests to serving as the in-house therapist between backstabbing aides) and countless cups of coffee, being the top White House staffer for Trump is a Washington version of ”Mission: Impossible.” John Kelly was the stern disciplinarian when he took over for a faltering Reince Priebus in the summer of 2017. Now, Trump has worn him out and turned him into an embittered, disgruntled employee. The retired general surrendered a long time ago.
[Read: David Bossie on short list to be Trump’s chief of staff]
Why would anyone think they would be any more successful in managing the unmanageable Trump? Only a masochist would sign up for a gig like that.
Trump is often viewed as a lawyer’s worst client. He doesn’t listen to advice. He doesn’t like listening. He changes his mind constantly. He gristles at being walled into the West Wing just like a caged animal at the zoo. His idea of protocol is calling a longtime associate on his cellphone in the middle of the night. It wouldn’t be surprising in the least to learn that Trump would like to fly back to New York and run the country from his Trump Tower office.
Trump probably sees no need for a chief of staff. It was only nine months ago that the president was pontificating about firing Kelly and serving as his own chief of staff.
Sooner or later, there will be a replacement for John Kelly. It could be Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.; budget director Mick Mulvaney, or someone else we haven’t thought of.
What we do know with a reasonable degree of certainty is that Trump’s third chief of staff will face the same frustrations, staff feuds, and migraines as the second. A year later, the White House may be looking for a fourth.
Daniel DePetris (@DanDePetris) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. His opinions are his own.
