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The hardest job in Washington? A look at those who served as Trump’s chief of staff

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The hardest job in Washington? A look at those who served as Trump’s chief of staff

WASHINGTON (AP) — Susie Wiles becomes the newest occupant of the hottest seat in Washington — Donald Trump’s chief of staff.

Under the best of circumstances, it’s a tough job, and you’ll be responsible for networking with lawmakers, government officials, and outside groups, all while keeping the White House running smoothly.

But it has been especially challenging under Trump, who has a history of hating anyone who tries to impose order on his chaotic management style. During his first term, four people served as chiefs of staff, and sometimes things ended on bitter terms.

Will the past be prologue? It’s impossible to know. So far, Wiles has done better than most around Trump, and she has only propelled his presidential campaign to victory.

Here’s a look at who came before her.

Rein Priebus

Priebus served as chairman of the Republican National Committee while Trump was running for president in 2016, becoming Trump’s first chief of staff in the White House. Priebus symbolized the fractious alliance between the party establishment and Trump’s insurgency, and he struggled to balance the two.

The White House was plagued by infighting and failed to achieve legislative goals such as repealing the Affordable Care Act. Priebus was sometimes viewed as untrustworthy by various factions vying for Trump’s favor. Anthony Scaramucci, who memorably but briefly served as Trump’s communications director, blasphemously attacked him for allegedly leaking information to the media.

Six months into his first term, Trump ousted Priebus on July 28, 2017. The decision was announced on Twitter, which was common during those tumultuous years.

John Kelly

Next up was Kelly, Trump’s first Secretary of Homeland Security. Trump liked the way Kelly, a former four-star Marine general who served in Iraq, led his immigration policy.

But he quickly became frustrated with Kelly’s attempts to impose military-style order on the chaotic White House. Kelly clashed with the president and some of his allies, ultimately leaving him more isolated and less influential.

Trump seemed so eager to get rid of Kelly that he announced his departure on December 8, 2018, without a replacement planned.

Although Kelly served in the role longer than anyone else, his split with Trump was ultimately the most bitter. He described his former boss in sour terms last month, saying Trump met the definition of a fascist and once praising Adolf Hitler for doing “some good things.”

Mick Mulvaney

It took days for Trump to settle on a replacement for Kelly, an unusual delay for such a crucial role. He chose Mulvaney, a former South Carolina congressman who headed the White House budget office at the time.

The decision came with an asterisk: Trump named Mulvaney his “acting” chief of staff, suggesting the position would be temporary.

Mulvaney abandoned Kelly’s strict management approach and decided to “let Trump be Trump.” Instead of managing the seemingly unruly president, Mulvaney focused on overseeing staff and working with lawmakers.

He held the job for just over a year and left on March 6, 2020, after Trump was acquitted in his first impeachment trial.

Mark Weiden

Trump turned to Meadows, a North Carolina congressman and leader of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, to serve as his fourth chief of staff. It was a challenging time, with the coronavirus spreading in the United States and around the world.

Long considered one of the obstacles to deal-making in Congress, Meadows played a leading role in negotiating pandemic relief legislation. He also proved himself a loyalist when Trump ran for re-election against Joe Biden. Meadows oversaw a White House awash with conspiracy theories about voter fraud as Trump tried to reverse his defeat.

A former assistant said that Meadows regularly burned papers in his office fireplace during this period. Meadows refused to cooperate with a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and he was indicted in election cases in Georgia and Arizona. He has pleaded not guilty.

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