When White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigned last Wednesday, she was only the the latest of a series of high-profile departures from President Donald Trump’s administration. Top Economic Advisor Gary Cohn just announced he’s leaving because of Trump’s crazy Tariff plan!
Hope Hicks is also the fourth person to vacate the White House Communications Director position in a little more than a year, following Anthony Scaramucci, Sean Spicer, and Mike Dubke. It’s not unusual to have some turnover after a president’s first year in office, but this White House’s revolving door shows how chaotic the White House has become since Trump moved in.
Here’s a partial round-up of those who’ve left ― either gracefully or with an escort ― since Trump took office:
Michael Flynn ― National Security Adviser
Trump’s former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned last February following revelations about conversations he had with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn has since been cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. In December, he pled guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian government.
Mike Dubke ― Communications Director
Mike Dubke served as Trump’s communications director for three months between February and May, 2017 before his resignation. He wasn’t an especially public figure, rarely appearing on television or talking to reporters on the record.
Sean Spicer ― White House Press Secretary and Communications Director
Spicer became one of the most ridiculed members of the Trump White House during his tenure as press secretary, including several notable spoofs on Saturday Night Live that made his lectern antics household knowledge. He abruptly resigned last July.
Reince Priebus ― Chief of Staff
Reince Priebus, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, spent a little more than six months as White House chief of staff before he quietly submitted his resignation. Priebus continually butted heads with other powerful voices in the West Wing, including then-Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and the short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucc. Then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, took over the role in July.
Anthony Scaramucci ― Communications Director
Scaramucci served in the White House for a mere 10 days after joining the administration. His tenure was heaped in controversy, including a profanity-laced interview with New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza. As the gregarious Long Island native’s departure was announced, Trump sent out a tweet reading “No WH chaos!”
Steve Bannon ― Chief Strategist
Former Breitbart News chairman Steve Bannon, once considered an untouchable confidant of the president, left the White House last August after spending the first half of the year helping shape Trump’s “America First” agenda. While the administration wished him the best at the time, he quickly became a political pariah after a very public feud with the president centering around quotes in a book where he declared actions by Donald Trump Jr. as “treasonous.”
Tom Price ― Health and Human Services Secretary
Price resigned following a firestorm over his extravagant use of private and military planes for official travel. A series of flights cost American taxpayers more than $1 million, according to Politico, and despite his attempts to quash the controversy, he resigned the post a week after the expenses were first disclosed.
Omarosa Manigault Newman ― Director of Communications, Office of Public Liaison
Newman, a former reality television star who first rose to fame on “The Apprentice,” resigned from her role in December “to pursue other opportunities.” Her sudden departure was followed by reports that she was escorted from the property, although she has maintained that she resigned and was not fired. She went on to criticize the Trump administration during an appearance on “Celebrity Big Brother” and even said she wouldn’t vote for the president again “in a million years.”
Sebastian Gorka ―Deputy Assistant
Gorka was an early addition to the administration after having served as an adviser during Trump’s presidential campaign. He quickly became one of the most vocal defenders of Trump’s policies, including the controversial travel ban. Gorka, a U.K. native with alleged ties to an anti-Semitic Hungarian group, left his White House job in August. He claimed he resigned from the role, but an unnamed administration official suggested in a statement to multiple media outlets that he was either fired or forced out.
Rob Porter ― Staff Secretary
Porter left the White House under a cloud of controversy after two of his ex-wives said that he had physically and emotionally abused them. The former staff secretary was able to serve in the White House for months with an interim security clearance that allowed him to view some of the nation’s most sensitive secrets, even though the claims of abuse had stalled his FBI background check. The revelations have prompted Chief of Staff John Kelly to revamp security clearance procedures, and 30 top aides were recently stripped of their own interim clearances, including the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Hope Hicks ― Communications Director
Hicks’ resignation marks the departure of one of Trump’s most trusted advisors. The enigmatic 29-year-old has worked for the president for years, despite having no previous political experience. She recently spoke with Mueller as part of his ongoing probe, and reportedly said she sometimes tells “white lies” for the president. CNN reported on Wednesday that comments made by Hicks in 2016, just days after Trump was elected, have been the subject of questions by the special counsel.
Who’s next? Stay tuned! I’m guessing Jeff Sessions is toast.
Trump is and always has been an agent of chaos—reflecting the chaotic and undisciplined disorganization of his mind. But as my husband says, Trump is not the problem, Trump is the symptom—the symptom of what happens when we’ve allowed the right-wing media echo chamber to essentially brainwash close to a quarter of our population with racist/sexist/homophobic wedge issues and jingoistic appeals to white aggrieved entitlement. Even when Trump leaves office (however that happens), we’ll still be cleaning up the shambles he’ll leave behind for decades to come. Jesus, what a mess!
/Dismounting soapbox now.
//I think Tillerson and Kelly are more likely to exit before Sessions, but I’d be surprised if any of them are still on the job by Christmas.
Deb, well said! And your husband is right. Years of propaganda have brainwashed a big chunk of the American electorate and made them easy to manipulate with conspiracy theories. It will take decades to dig out of this mess. Tillerson and Kelly are certainly on Trump’s Hit List.
George, I like turnovers, especially apple and cherry, but the ones in DC are fast becoming my favorite. Schadenfreude is my middle name.
I am leery of a turnover at the top because of the line of succession. If Trump goes, we will have Pence who, although saner, scares me as much as the Donald. The next in line after Pence is smirky Speaker of the House and boy who wants to Ayn Rand Paul Ryan. No matter what happens, the country is screwed. One ray of hope is the mid-term elections and a massive and sustained Democratic sweep, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it being either massive or sustained.
As to who’s next…Sessions, McMaster, Jarod and Ivanka are all in the running, but my money is on Ben Carson.
Jerry, the Russians will do their best to sabotage “the Blue Wave.” And, the Democrats have been known to shoot themselves in the foot. McMaster is already packing his bags.
Hope Hicks is described as a “TRump LOyalist” but I look at the woman and don’t think she could be loyal to anything except maybe a brand of makeup or a fashion boutique.
Dan, but Hope Hicks is a specialist at telling “White Lies.”
I don’t see Sessions going. He’s made it pretty clear (lately, at least) that he won’t resign, and as we all know, Trump has a hard time firing anyone face to face.
Deb, Jackie says Trump is not the symptom, but rather the culmination of the trend George mentioned.
Since Gary Cohn is apparently going now, my money is on Jarod. He is in deep doo doo in New York over the debacle of 666 Fifth Avenue (the Demonic Building).
PS – Not only did I never hear of this clown Nunberg before this week, I have no memory whatsoever of Mike Dubke,
I agree about Pence and the smirking fratboy Ryan.
Jeff, Trump could fire people face-to-face on THE APPRENTICE but can’t do it in Real Life. Gary Gohn got what he wanted–the Tax Reform plan to protect his billions from taxes–so he can buy another jet now.
Trump is a real miracle worker. Who would have believed that ANYONE could turn Jeff Sessions into a marginally sympathetic figure? And look how the truly loathsome Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes us feel nostalgic for Sean Spicer.
Michael, you’re right about Jeff Sessions and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Think of the fun P.G. Wodehouse could have had with these two characters!
I agree that Sessions won’t resign, and in a way I think that’s a good thing, because whoever the orange virus/turd chooses to replace him may just sabotage the Russian investigation. I also agree that pence is as bad as the turd, just a bit saner. Ryan is up for re-election, and I hope will lose.
What we need is proof of collusion to the extent we can void the election and get rid of the scumbags
Maggie, unless the Democrats control the House of Representatives, nothing will be done with anything Mueller comes up with. The Republicans would just sweep it all under the rug.
But those who voted for the current President are blind to it all…
Rick, the Evangelicals just look the other way when Stormy Daniels is mentioned. There’s a lot of hypocrisy going round Trump supporters.
It is utterly amazing that his number haven’t fallen in months. I think he was very right about firing a gun and its consequences for him with his base.
Patti, Trump’s base doesn’t care what he does. They just hate liberals and “The Establishment.”
Such negativity! Look on the bright side! He saved us from Hitlery! You remember her, the one who hired someone to create The Dossier!
Bob, but at least Hillary wasn’t dating Stormy Daniels!
I’m following this crazy regime of Trump from afar – luckily for us it seems that Germany like most of the EU is immune to it all, though there are a few outliers like Britain and Hungary (in which I’m interested).
I found something here – a detailed review of a very interesting book which describes Trump, Brexit and even Hungary’s Orbán:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/review-how-democracies-die-steven-levitsky-and-daniel-ziblatt-viking
Steve Bannon was in Switzerland right now giving a talk to the right wingers there – a really horrible guy imho!
I won’t link to politico-eu on this because then my comment will be put in moderation which means extra work for George … 🙂
And Gorka (another crazy!) has Hungarian roots and likes to show off as a Hungarian aristocrat …
Wolf, the Bannons and Gorkas of the world will always find people who believe in their message of hate and disruption. They build nothing, but love to tear the fabric of democratic society down.
Here we go:
He may have been fired from the White House, banished from Breitbart and accused of having “lost his mind” by the man he helped make president, but Steve Bannon can still draw a crowd, even in Switzerland.
Speaking to a soldout hall of 1,500 in Zurich Tuesday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist served up a familiar rhetorical stew of “economic nationalism” and populism, spicing his remarks with the usual broadsides against “limousine liberals,” “the Clinton mafia” and “the party at Davos.”
Bannon has been touring Europe in recent days, arriving in Switzerland from Italy, where he celebrated the victory by populist forces in Sunday’s general election, calling it an “earthquake.”
“It’s not over,” he said of the populist surge he helped harness in the U.S. before it purged him. “It’s just beginning. The tide of history is on our side.”
In his roughly half-hour address, Bannon, unshaven and wearing wrinkled khakis with a dark shirt and blazer, offered a dystopian assessment of modern society, which he said has become enslaved by “a permanent political class.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/steve-bannon-populism-donald-trump-i-still-love-the-guy/
Steve Bannon always looks like he’s one three-martini and steak lunch from a massive coronary.
Deb, Steve Bannon knows how to fire up a crowd of low-information voters. He concentrates on “red-meat” rhetoric. And, as you correctly pointed out, Bannon feasts on a lot of red meat and alcohol.
Hitlery would have had an affair with Stormy if she could!
Bob, that would be a stormy affair!