Trump's Chief of Staff Post in Air After Pence Aide Refuses to Replace Kelly

TEHRAN (defapress)- Nick Ayers, Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence, stated that he will not take the position of Chief of Staff, after reportedly failing to agree with US President Donald Trump about the terms.

News ID: 74241

Date: 10 December 2018 - 13:39

Ayer’s refusal adds to uncertainty at the White House, as the 36-year-old prepares to leave the administration leaving it unclear who will take over White House chief of staff John Kelly, World News reported.

Ayers reportedly told the American president he would only take the position on a temporary basis until spring, while the president pushed for a two-year commitment. Ayers will instead be moving to Georgia to work with a Republican super PAC.

His refusal leaves Trump in search of a permanent replacement going into the beginning of the 2020 campaign season. With the Democrats prepared to take control of the House next month, Trump is pressed for time in selecting competent staff.

Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be leaving at the end of the year. Although Trump’s relationship with Kelly remains cordial on the surface, some sources suggest it had been steadily deteriorating. Trump stated that he would name a replacement “over the next day or two”.

Kelly’s ouster is just the latest in a presidency plagued with firings and resignations, often made more bitter by the ex-staffers personal feuds with Trump. On Friday, Trump published a tweet calling his former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “dumb as a rock”. While several State Department positions remain unfilled, Trump has made some questionable picks for high-level positions, including the selection of Heather Nauert, a former Fox News anchor, as ambassador to the UN.

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