Donald Trump just made a promise to John Kelly that he (almost certainly) will not keep



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The account of recent months in Washington had been Kelly's isolation from Trump and the increasing likelihood that the Chief of Staff would leave Pennsylvania sooner than later. Two days ago, writes Eliana Johnson of Politico:

"A year after the start of work, Kelly's attempts to set up traditional processes in a non-traditional White House have failed, according to a dozen people. around him say, no longer works to keep his boss mercurial on the task or on the message, with a Republican close to the White House by designating him as a "chief of staff only by name." [19659003] How on earth have we gone "Kelly is a man who walks" to "Kelly is in 2020?" Many reasons – that Trump likes to disrupt expectations and keep his staff on the fact that replacing Kelly right now could have Was more trouble than well seen the chaos surrounding the treatment by the President of the Special Prosecutor's investigation ongoing on the interference of Russia in the 2016 elections.

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I would be wary, however, of falling into the trap of the "why" of this announcement of Kelly. Because the badysis of "why" Trump reversed Kelly's course suggests that this pact to keep Kelly through the 2020 election will actually hold throughout 2020.

And if Trump is Trump and history is a guide, he will not do it.

This does not mean that Trump and Kelly do not believe today that their partnership will last as long as expected. They do! Think of it as in college when you and your friend promise you will be best friends forever. At this moment, you both believe it totally. But life is introduced. You go to different high schools. Or you go to the same high school, but separate. Or you go to different colleges. Life is coming

That's how you should think about this Trump-Kelly announcement. Trump is extremely mercurial. There's a reason everyone thought Kelly would be gone soon – because the helpers, channeling Trump, told reporters that the president was fed up with Kelly and that he wanted to see him go. Trump seems to have recently changed his mind about Kelly's question (and, as I note above, for reasons that we can guess but never really known). Trump can totally mean keeping Kelly until 2020 from today. In a month, he may have totally changed his mind.

All you need to know about Trump's state of mind when he made this offer to Kelly, is that the President asked him to stay at work until At the end of his second term in 2024, according to Kaitlan Collins of CNN. ] 2024! This would make Kelly the oldest chief of staff of all time, far exceeding Andy Card, who remained in the best position for President George W. Bush for five years.

Given what we know about Trump's lack of long-term strategic planning, it is very, very difficult to imagine that Trump totally thought about Kelly being left for the next six years – or even the next two years. Trump decided – probably under the impetus of the moment – to keep Kelly and, because the president did not do anything in half, proposed to Kelly to stay as long as Trump could hope to be president.

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All About First, there is no penalty for changing your mind. Everyone in the White House serves the pleasure of the President – more with this President than most. If in six months, Trump gets rid of Kelly, does anyone think he would pay the price – with voters or with Republican members of Congress? Answer: No.

Second, Trump has made it clear repeatedly that he believes he is the only person who matters in the White House (or in the government in general). "Let me tell you, the one that counts, it's me," said Trump in November 2017. "I'm the only one who counts, because when it comes to that, that's it. is what the policy is going to be, that, you saw it very loudly. "He was talking about openings at the State Department, but the idea applies. Trump sees himself as the only indispensable piece in the White House. He is, according to him, the best chief of staff, director of communications and, finally, all that exists in Washington (or in the world).

So Kelly's role – at least what the role has become – is to let Trump be Trump largely and stay out of the way. Which is not the typical job description of a chef de cabinet.

In brief: Donald Trump and John Kelly have a partnership. For the moment.

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