White House chief of staff John Kelly will leave his position at the White House by the end of the year, President Trump said Saturday as he departed for the Army-Navy football game. He will likely be replaced by Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff.
Why it matters: Trump has long discussed replacing Kelly, particularly as the White House gears up for his reelection in 2020. Meanwhile, Kelly is leaving at a time when Trump is facing three key threats — a wobbly stock market, a Democratic House with ample investigative power, and the Mueller investigation.
"John Kelly will be leaving, I don’t know if I can say ‘retiring.’ But, he’s a great guy. John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. We’ll be announcing who will be taking John’s place…over the next day or two... He’s been with me almost two years now... John Kelly will be leaving toward the end of the year, at the end of the year."
