If President Obama is planning a major staff shake-up after November’s midterms, White House officials won’t say so publicly yet.
“I personally don’t know of anybody who’s planning to leave at the end of the year,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said when asked about personnel changes, one of Washington’s favorite parlor games.
Then Earnest added this caveat: “It is customary after midterm elections for members of the administration to pursue other opportunities.”
With Obama stuck in the second-term doldrums, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, among others, has speculated that a staff overhaul is on the horizon.
The White House has repeatedly been forced to deny rumors that Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough, is heading for the exits. And some have argued that with so much of his focus now on foreign affairs, Obama could benefit from fresh blood on his national security team.
One downside of staff turnover, however, is that senior members of Obama’s inner circle could write a “tell-all” book.
Given all the attention former CIA and Defense Department Director Leon Panetta has received in recent days — the former Obama Cabinet member slammed the White House’s approach to combating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria — Obama may think twice about making major changes to his team.
