Donald Trump: Chief of staff John Kelly to step down by end of 2018

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced that his chief of staff John Kelly would be leaving the administration at the end of the year — the latest in a series of moves by the Republican leader to change his inner circle of aides.

John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, was long rumoured to be on the way out, amid reports that his relationship with the volatile Trump had deteriorated to such an extent they were no longer on speaking terms.

Before heading to Philadelphia for the Army-Navy football game, Trump said, “John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year.” He added that a replacement would be named ‘over the next day or two’.

The Republican president said that Kelly’s replacement might be an interim chief of staff, until a permanent successor is found

“He’s been with me almost two years now, between two positions. I appreciate his service very much,” Trump told reporters.

Although Kelly is credited with bringing some discipline to the Oval Office but his tenure was hardly smooth sailing.

Apparently, Kelly was serving as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security when he was brought in on July 31, 2017 to replace Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff.

Notably, when Kelly took over the White House as chief of staff, it was plagued by political intrigue and under a cloud because of allegations of election collusion with Russia.

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