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Vice President Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers, considered a favorite to replace John Kelly at the head of the White House, announced on Sunday: "I will leave at the end of the year".
Ayers revealed the news in a tweet. His full text reads: "Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP and my excellent colleagues for the honor of serving our country to the White House.I will leave at the end of the year, but I will work with the team # MAGA to advance the cause #Georgia "
The Wall Street Journal originally reported that Trump and Ayers could not agree on the length of Ayers' service and that He would rather attend the president from outside the administration.
Ayers and Trump had been discussing work for months. The new recruit was to be key to a reshuffle of the West Wing in order to refocus on the 2020 re-election campaign and on the challenge of governing with Democrats controlling Parliament.
Officials said Trump and Ayers could not agree on his length of service, but Trump wants his next chief of staff to retain his position in the 2020 election. Ayers, who has young triplets, had long considered leaving the administration at the end of the year and would have discussed the possibility of taking this position on an interim basis until next spring.
Trump announced Saturday that he plans to announce the replacement of his position. Kelly in a day or two, and we did not know immediately if he had a new favorite for the job. Sources told Fox News Sunday night that there had been "holdings" about Rep. Mark Meadows, CR-N., Who had become chief of staff. Meadows is president of the influential House Freedom Caucus.
President Donald Trump's first choice to replace chief of staff John Kelly, Nick Ayers, apparently pulled out of the pack on Sunday. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik)
Trump is now considering four candidates, including the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney, the Associated Press added.
Trump had developed his confidence in Ayers, inter alia by monitoring the effectiveness of the largely independent political operation of Pence. Ayers also got the support of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, daughter and son of the president and senior advisers, for taking on the new role, White House officials said.
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Ayers, 36, would have been the youngest chief of staff since Hamilton Jordan, 34, served under the authority of Jimmy Carter.
Kelly is 68 years old.
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Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be leaving his post towards the end of the year.
Kelly, whose last day of work is supposed to be January 2, had credited the imposition of an imposing order on a chaotic west. Wing after arriving in June 2017 from his position as Second Secretary of Security. However, he has also alienated some of Trump's long-time allies and over time he has become increasingly isolated, with a diminishing role.
Chad Pergram of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to the writing of this report.
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