Trump replaces chief of staff Priebus after ugly infighting
US President Donald Trump ousted his beleaguered chief of staff Reince Priebus on Friday, replacing him with Homeland Security Secretary and former general John Kelly after vicious White House infighting spilled into the open.
Only hours after a humiliating defeat on health care reform had underlined his tenuous control over his party in Congress, Trump announced a second shakeup of his inner circle in barely a week.
Since entering the White House six months ago, Trump has parted company with his national security advisor, deputy national security advisor, FBI director, press secretary, communications director, acting attorney general, deputy chief of staff and now chief of staff, a turnover of top officials that is unparalleled in US political history.
Priebus has been under fire for months, seeing one White House ally after another resign or leave, culminating in the departure of press secretary Sean Spicer a week ago.
His exit appeared inevitable when Trump did not intervene as his new communications director Anthony Scaramucci publicly described Priebus as a "paranoid schizophrenic" in a foul-mouthed tirade that also saw him savage another top Trump aide.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said discussions about Priebus's departure had been taking place for weeks.
Priebus later said he resigned on Thursday, but referring to his departure admitted that he and Trump "talked all the time about this subject."
Kelly will be sworn in to his new post Monday.
The move likely signals a greater focus on law and order issues and will put further strain on relations between Trump and the Republican establishment.
Both Priebus and Spicer were part of the Republican National Committee, and the bridge that linked the party to Trump.
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