A key White House aide is on his way out and US President Donald Trump has apparently been left 'crushed' by the developments. According to a report by Bloomberg, Keith Schiller, who had served as the president's bodyguard in the past, is thought to be extremely close to Trump and possibly the closest any non-family member has ever been to him. Schiller had been working as the director of operations at the Oval Office.

Close aide departs

Over the past few months, plenty of people have left the White House under a cloud but the departure of the White House director of Oval Office Operations Keith Schiller might prove to be a particularly stinging one for President Donald Trump.

Schiller's relationship with Donald Trump goes back two decades and is considered to be the closest person to the president, who is not a family member. He had served as Trump's bodyguard in the past and over the year, Schiller has become a close confidante of the president. However, he is now all set to quit the White House and go back to a private security firm that he had been associated with in the past.

Schiller's plan to quit the White House has 'crushed' the president according to those close the developments. Considering the fact that he serves as the president's friend and protector, Trump's reaction to the events is not surprising. Although the exact reason behind his departure is unknown, it appears that Schiller is going back to a job that will pay considerably more than his current White House salary of $165.000 a year.

The Kelly factor

While the exact reason behind his departure is unknown, it is being speculated that John Kelly's appointment as the White House Chief Of Staff back in July might have had a role to play in Schiller's departure. Although people who are aware of the developments have stated that the relatively modest pay combined with long hours are reasons why he had planned to quit the White House after a short stint, his access to the Oval Office had been curtailed since Kelly's arrival.

Kelly has apparently made the Oval Office far less accessible and Schiller might have felt that his role has been diminished. In addition to that, he had also shared his misgivings about Kelly with some friends and has apparently said that the current White House Chief of Staff does not really like Trump. Schiller is regarded as a key conduit to the president and it is believed that his departure might throw the White House into a bit of a chaos in the days to come.