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Donald Trump Ousts Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff, John Kelly Replaces Him

Donald Trump and Reince Priebus
Donald Trump and Reince Priebus during election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in 2016.

Another one bites the dust! Donald Trump is making even more changes to his administration.

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The Commander in Chief, 71, has ousted Chief of Staff Reince Priebus from his team on Friday, July 28, replacing the former GOP Chairman with the sitting Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly.

Donald Trump and John Kelly
Donald Trump and John Kelly during a visit to the Department of Homeland Security at Washington, DC in 2017.

Trump took to Twitter to announce his decision. “I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff,” he wrote. “He is a Great American and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.”

The president concluded his remarks by wishing Priebus well: “I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I proud of him!” He did not provide a reason for firing Priebus.

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Reince Priebus told CNN that he resigned on Thursday, July 27, after a productive conversation with Trump. “This is about the president. This is about moving his agenda forward. I think he’s made a smart decision with General Kelly, and I think he’s going to do a great job and I’m looking forward to the future.”

Priebus also added that there is no “ill will” over his resignation. “I’m always going to be a Trump fan. I’m on team Trump, and I look forward to helping him achieve his goals and his agenda for the American people,” he said.

The news comes one week after Anthony Scaramucci was brought on as Communications Director. According to reports, Priebus opposed the appointment, as did Sean Spicer, who then resigned as press secretary in what many deemed to be an act of protest. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has since been appointed as Spicer’s successor. 

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Scaramucci made headlines earlier this week for questioning whether Priebus was behind several recent White House leaks. “Reince Priebus — if you want to leak something — he’ll be asked to leave very shortly,” the latest addition to Trump’s administration said in an explosive phone conversation with a New Yorker reporter.

In May, Trump also fired James Comey as FBI director.

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