US Politics, March 2018: Why do people leave the White House for good?

im too tired to be angry anymore

Hm hm hm

.@MichLKosinski reports Rex never talked to Trump about his firing. Senior official says of Red: “He’s unaware of the reason why the President wanted him out now.” Wow.

— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) March 13, 2018

#rexit

(Also have to wonder if he'd been on Mueller's radar at all.)

Staff/admin not on Mueller’s radar:

EX-EXXON TEXAN EXEC REX NEXT EX-SEC

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) March 13, 2018

(CNN) - President Donald Trump's longtime personal aide John McEntee was fired and escorted from the White House on Monday, three sources with knowledge of the matter told CNN.

Two sources said McEntee was pushed out because of issues with his security clearance, making him the latest aide to be forced out because of difficulties obtaining a permanent security clearance.

The Wall Street Journal first reported his exit.

Minutes later, the Trump campaign announced McEntee would be joining the reelection effort as a senior adviser for campaign operations.

man was hoping they'd determined him a primary "leak" and dude was about to go ham

.@MichLKosinski reports Rex never talked to Trump about his firing. Senior official says of Red: “He’s unaware of the reason why the President wanted him out now.”

It's almost as if Trump's swaggering 'you're fired!' persona is nothing more than a wilting coward putting on a show for the cameras. Almost.

I thought telling people that they were fired was his one proven skill.

The new CIA director was a key part of the torture program and its illegal cover-up. Her name was on the Top Secret order demanding the destruction of tapes to prevent them being seen by Congress. Incredible. https://t.co/HjVHCPCbpo https://t.co/VamIGa1A8w

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) March 13, 2018

all too credible tbh

So Pompeo will lead NK negotiations, fantastic.

I assume that her opening salvo will be gouging out one of Kim Jong-Un's eyes.

FTR, I'm much more in favor of a Trump cabinet composed of venal shitbags from the corporate and financial sectors than CIA torture-mongers. But then I guess that's why he's going in the direction he's going.

Thread titles delivers - can the next one be called "Why do people set themselves on fire in the White House?"?

I'll be honestly shocked if we get through ??? years of a Trump administration without an Arpaio cabinet appointment.

NEWS: Johnny McEntee was fired because he is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for serious financial crimes, a source familiar with his firing tells CNN.

This source says the charges are not Trump related.

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 13, 2018

Can't wait for that confirmation hearing. xp

just the guy to put in charge of yr re-elec campaign

how many democrats will vote to approve haspel

i'm going to say as many as 7

Feinstein led the charge to block her from a lower position at the CIA (head of clandestine ops) years ago. Hopefully she still feels the same way.

Johnny McEntee was fired because he is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for serious financial crimes

So the issue isn't really that he was a problem in the White House, it's more that his expertise will be particularly relevant to advising Trump's re-election campaign.

xp

FEINSTEIN says she is not yet a “no” on Haspel & wants to wait for confirmation hearings. Says she knows Haspel well and has had talks & dinners with her.

— Andrew Desiderio (@desiderioDC) March 13, 2018

oof, if even Feinstein is wavering, Haspel probably sails right through. especially since Haspel is apparently widely respected within the CIA. all the torture is handwaved away with "she was just doing her job".

so disgusting

lindsey graham: a profile in courage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEylWZU570A

FTR, I'm much more in favor of a Trump cabinet composed of venal shitbags from the corporate and financial sectors than CIA torture-mongers. But then I guess that's why he's going in the direction he's going.
― Ape Wipes (Old Lunch), Tuesday, March 13, 2018 10:41 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

These venal shitbags are not yet torture-mongers only because they have not yet had the chance. The lesser of two evils imo is the torture-mongers who are not *also* novice idiots.

and after all, who wasn't torturing back then? we were ALL running our own CIA black-op sites, making up the rules on what constituted torture as we went, right? those were the days, weren't they

Probably right

The narrative of Trump unglued is not totally wrong but misses the reason why - he was terrified of the job the first six months, and now feels like he has a command of it.

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 13, 2018

People close to the White House say they expect more major personnel shifts this week. An effort to rip off the bandaid fast on a number of fronts is likely.

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 13, 2018

Again, confirming what Gabriel Sherman was saying the other week.

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's governments were certainly grateful to the CIA torturers, great bunch of lads.

i didn't know about the close connection between Pompeo and the Koch Brothers until this morning, either. what a shitshow.

BREAKING: Officials: White House fires top Tillerson aide who contradicted account of secretary of state's dismissal.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 13, 2018

lol

it also makes sense some of these shitheads are on the way out - they get penalized financially on their divestments if they serve less than a year after they join the administration

WH official says chief of staff John Kelly called Tillerson Friday and again on Saturday. Both calls to Tillerson, the official says, warned that Trump was about to take imminent action if he did not step aside. When Tillerson didn't act, Trump fired him.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 13, 2018

i didn't know about the close connection between Pompeo and the Koch Brothers until this morning, either. what a shitshow.

― Karl Malone, Tuesday, March 13, 2018 11:14 AM (five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

GOP congressman from the Koch wasteland formerly known as Kansas

dark times indeed when sympathies default to oil exec

xxxp thanks for that key financial fact that I was not aware of, makes sense

People close to the White House say they expect more major personnel shifts this week.

One thing you can count on is that anyone who would accept top jobs under Trump after seeing this administration in action is going to be worse than awful, like much-worse-than-Rick-Perry awful.

I had to look up whether Rick Perry still worked there or whether he'd already moved on to Lucrative LobbyLand

Yep, he's still there

I wonder if Trump knows he's still there

Rick Perry doesn't know Rick Perry is there.

rick perry has the good sense to be neither seen nor heard so

Ben Carson's in there too, somewhere

youcanalwaystellamilfordman.gif

oh yeah, i forgot - remember the "suicide pact" between Tillerson, Mattis, and Mnuchin? Tillerson got fired, so, uh....?

Mnuchin's fate is to wind up a background player on his wife's reality show.

Morale Low At State Department After Only Employee Fired https://t.co/83lq3P87zc pic.twitter.com/dxhehYwP3s

— Onion Politics (@OnionPolitics) March 13, 2018

An odd little detail

https://deadspin.com/uconn-trick-shot-qb-turned-trump-valet-fired-due-to-hom-1823731168

xp every time I see Mnuchin he seems nervously excited to be temporarily freed form bondage hood / human pony harness

it's true though