Rick Dearborn, a deputy chief of staff and key aide to President Donald Trump, will leave the White House in early 2018.
The Wall Street Journal first reported Dearborn’s departure on Thursday night. White House spokesman Raj Shah confirmed to TPM on Friday that Dearborn will leave the administration.
“Rick loyally served the President for two and a half years and brought tremendous energy to the White House staff. He’s a super guy and it breaks my heart to see him leave, but I look forward to his continued personal friendship and support for the President’s agenda,” White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said in a statement about Dearborn’s departure.
Dearborn began working for Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. Before that, he worked in Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ Senate office. At the White House, Dearborn was the top aide to Trump’s chief of staff and also worked on public and legislative affairs.
According to the Wall Street Journal and CNN, Dearborn told friends that he saw the Republican tax overhaul that cleared Congress on Wednesday as his cue to leave.
News of Dearborn’s departure followed the announcement that Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell will leave the White House early next year. More departures are expected at the beginning of Trump’s second year in office.
I bet he did.
There will be quite a few more departures from the White House - some voluntary, some brought on by Mueller’s investigation and related legal problems. Stephen Miller’s departure can’t come soon enough.
To all media: we know there will be an exodus of Trump staffers as the one year mark approaches. Could you be so kind as to differentiate between those who leave merely in shame versus those who leave in handcuffs? Thank-you.
There are other categories. Dearborn, for example, is simply cashing out.
Most of those departing can quadruple their government salaries in the private sector, and not answer to L’enfant Orange while doing it.