WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump ousted his beleaguered chief of staff, Reince Priebus, naming Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to replace him in the latest White House shakeup as the administration struggles to emerge from rounds of staff infighting and a stalled legislative agenda.
The announcement from Trump came Friday afternoon through a series of posts on Twitter, only hours after the Senate killed his latest plans to rewrite President Barack Obama's health care law, dealing another harsh blow to the White House.
The tweets, sent as Trump was returning to Washington on Air Force One with Priebus from a speech in New York, caught Capitol Hill and others off guard even though Priebus' stature within the administration has been in sharp decline for some time.
In revealing Kelly's appointment, Trump called the retired Marine Corps general "a Great American" who has "done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration."
"I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!" Trump said in another tweet.
