Sessions May Be Precursor To Onslaught Of Cabinet Changes

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens as U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during a meeting with military leaders in the Cabinet Room on October 23, 2018 in Washington, DC... WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 23: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens as U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during a meeting with military leaders in the Cabinet Room on October 23, 2018 in Washington, DC. Trump discussed a range of issues while press were in the room including current relations with Saudi Arabia, and the use of the U.S. military in protecting the borders of the United States. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Attorney General Jeff Sessions may just be the beginning. President Donald Trump is vacillating between dumping Cabinet members he’s soured on and voluntarily engaging in yet another messy confirmation process, according to a Wednesday Politico report.

Particular objects of his ire are DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.

Trump would reportedly like to slot Kris Kobach, Kansas secretary of state and recently failed gubernatorial candidate, into Nielsen’s place, but acknowledges that he’d have difficulty getting confirmed. In addition, the optics of axing one of three female Cabinet members jives too neatly with the post-midterm sense that Republicans struggle with women.

Trump likes Zinke much better than Nielsen, who he sees as weak and allied primarily with chief of staff John Kelly and the Bush administration. However, Zinke is channeling Scott Pruitt with his recent scad of ethical missteps, making him a headache for Trump to handle.

Trump also has to deal with filling the vacancy left by UN Ambassador Nikki Haley when she leaves in December, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and, perennially, Kelly are also reportedly on the chopping block.

Latest News
35
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Oh, so the dotard is gluing his war fortress to combat the new House members! WEAK!!!

  2. Usually the POTUS cabinet wlll make changes after four years. Maybe some tweaks at 2 years, but this is looking like a mass shift.

    So we’ll get to see how many more incompetents there are in our nation’s leadership. Whoopie…

  3. Do you really mean, MORE CRIMINALS?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

29 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for jootjoint Avatar for matthew1961 Avatar for blandsten Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for becca656 Avatar for lastroth Avatar for dickweed Avatar for heroofthebeach Avatar for zlohcuc Avatar for ryokyo Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for centralasiaexpat Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for c_stedman

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: