Ayers Alternates: Names Floated In The Mad Dash To Get A New Chief Of Staff

Amir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump take questions from reporters during a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House September 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following meetings and a working luncheon, the two leaders talked about their ongoing military cooperation and ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 07: Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Nick Ayers (L) talks with White House Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway before a joint news conference with Amir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-S... WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 07: Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Nick Ayers (L) talks with White House Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway before a joint news conference with Amir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait and U.S. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House September 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following meetings and a working luncheon, the two leaders talked about their ongoing military cooperation and ongoing tensions in the Middle East. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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After Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, unexpectedly turned down the job, the Trump administration has been scrambling to find a suitable replacement for White House chief of staff John Kelly.

According to Washington Post and New York Times reports, here’s the list they’re working with.

  • Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC)
  • Acting attorney general Matt Whitaker
  • Former deputy Trump campaign manager David Bossie
  • White House counselor Kellyanne Conway
  • Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
  • Energy Secretary Rick Perry
  • Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum
  • Blackstone executive Wayne Berman

Some others who were considered, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, have expressed no interest in taking the punishing job.

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Notable Replies

  1. Disasters (White House perspective):

    Meadows, Whitaker, Bossie, Perry, Santorum

     

    Disasters (CoS candidate’s perspective):

    Conway, Christie, Berman

     

    (Incidentally, Trump has also asked a third Rick, the president of the Yankees.)

  2. Avatar for eb5 eb5 says:

    Please let it be Santorum. He’d piss himself on day 2 and be a crying mess by the first week. But I’d love to see him actually have to hold a job instead of just being a paid Fox loudmouth. (Can you tell I’m from Pa?)

  3. Rick Perry, obviously. He has the right levels of confidence and brains.

  4. Kellyanne is good but why aren’t they considering Daffy Duck? So unfair to ducks.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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