Vice President Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, who was considered
a front-runner to replace John Kelly as White House chief of staff,
announced Sunday: "I will be departing at the end of the year."
Ayers
revealed the news in a tweet. Its full text read: "Thank you
@realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve
our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the
year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. #Georgia"
The Wall Street Journal
originally reported that Trump and Ayers could not reach agreement on
Ayers' length of service and that he would instead assist the president
from outside the administration.
Ayers and Trump had discussed the
job for months. The new hire was to be key to a West Wing reshuffling
to shift focus toward the 2020 reelection campaign and the challenge of
governing with Democrats in control of the House.
Officials said
Trump and Ayers could not agree on his length of service, but Trump
wants his next chief of staff to hold the job through the 2020 election.
Ayers, who has young triplets, had long planned to leave the
administration at the end of the year, and reportedly discussed taking
the job on an interim basis only through next spring.
Trump said
Saturday that he expected to announce a replacement for Kelly in a day
or two, and it was not immediately clear whether he had a new favorite
for the post.
Sources told Fox News on Sunday evening there have
been “conversations” about Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., becoming chief of
staff. Meadows serves as chairman of the influential House Freedom
Caucus.
Trump reportedly is considering four candidates for the
post, including Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney,
The Associated Press added.
Sunday night, Trump took a potshot at
the media, while also tweeting his next steps: “I am in the process of
interviewing some really great people for the position of White House
Chief of Staff. Fake News has been saying with certainty it was Nick
Ayers, a spectacular person who will always be with our #MAGA agenda. I
will be making a decision soon!”
Trump had developed confidence in
Ayers, in part by watching the effectiveness of Pence's largely
independent political operation. Ayers also earned the backing of Ivanka
Trump and Jared Kushner, the president's daughter and son-in-law and
senior advisers, for taking on the new role, White House officials said.
Ayers, 36, would have been the youngest chief of staff since 34-year-old Hamilton Jordan served under Jimmy Carter.
Kelly is 68.
Ayers
instead will be leaving the administration to run a pro-Trump super
PAC, The Associated Press reported citing a person familiar with his
plans who was not authorized to discuss them by name.
Pence thanked Ayers for his service in a tweet early Sunday evening.
Its
full text read: “.@nick_ayers has done an outstanding job as my Chief
of Staff and I will always be grateful for his friendship, dedication to
the @VP team and his efforts to advance the @POTUS agenda. Thank you
Nick! Karen and I wish you, Jamie and the kids every blessing in the
years ahead.”
GOP RUSHES TO PASS BORDER WALL LEGISLATION, JUSTICE REFORM BEFORE DEMS TAKE HOUSE
Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would leave around year's end.
Kelly,
whose last day on the job is set to be Jan. 2, had been credited with
imposing order on a chaotic West Wing after his arrival in June 2017
from his post as homeland security secretary. However, he also alienated
some longtime Trump allies, and over time he grew increasingly
isolated, with an increasingly diminished role.