Hoping to turn the page on a tumultuous
opening chapter to his presidency, U.S.
President Donald Trump insisted on Monday
there is “no chaos” in his White House as he
swore in retired Marine Gen. John Kelly as
chief of staff.
In an Oval Office ceremony, Trump predicted
Kelly, who previously served as Homeland
Security chief, would do a “spectacular job.”
And the president chose to highlight an
improving stock market and strong jobs
outlook rather than talk about how things
need to change under Kelly.
Trump on Friday ousted Reince Priebus as
chief of staff and turned to Kelly, whom he
hopes will bring military discipline to an
administration weighed down by a stalled
legislative agenda, infighting among West
Wing aides and a stack of investigations.
While Trump is looking for a reset, he
pushed back against criticism of his
administration on Twitter Monday. He said:
“Highest Stock Market EVER, best economic
numbers in years, unemployment lowest in
17 years, wages raising, border secure, S.C.:
No WH chaos!”
Kelly’s success in a chaotic White House will
depend on how much authority he is
granted and whether Trump’s dueling aides
will put aside their rivalries to work
together. Also unclear is whether a new
chief of staff will have any influence over the
president’s social media histrionics.
Former Trump campaign manager Cory
Lewandowski, who was ousted from the
campaign in June 2016, said on NBC’s “Meet
the Press” that he expected Kelly would
“restore order to the staff” but also stressed
that Trump was unlikely to change his style.
“I say you have to let Trump be Trump. That
is what has made him successful over the
last 30 years. That is what the American
people voted for,” Lewandowski said.
“And anybody who thinks they’re going to
change Donald Trump doesn’t know Donald
Trump.”
Kelly’s start follows a wild week, marked by a
profane tirade from the new
communications director, Trump’s
continued attacks on his attorney general
and the failed effort by Senate Republicans
to overhaul the nation’s health care law.
In addition to strain in the West Wing and
with Congress, Kelly starts his new job as
tensions escalate with North Korea. The
United States flew two supersonic bombers
over the Korean Peninsula on Sunday in a
show of force against North Korea,
following the country’s latest
intercontinental ballistic missile test. The U.S.
also said it conducted a successful test of a
missile defence system located in Alaska.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said on CBS’
“Face the Nation” that she hopes Kelly can
“be effective,” and “begin some very serious
negotiation with the North and stop this
program.”
