When a new president steps into office, personnel changes are inevitable. However, the personnel changes in the trump administration have often been abrupt and controversial. In the first six months of the new presidency, there has been several highly publicized firings and resignations, leaving the public to wonder who is next. The answer to that question may be Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is currently at odds with the President after Sessions decided to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. GOP-favored Sessions' future is tentative and he may follow a list of personnel that walked out the door, beginning in January 2017.
A rough beginning
The beginning of the Tump-era started with the resignation of Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy was the undersecretary of state for management and wanted to work for the secretary of state Rex Tillerson in that capacity. However, Kennedy decided to jump ship, along with the entire senior leadership within the state department, leaving Rex Tillerson the daunting task of filling those slots. Following the mass exodus of most of the state department, Trump began firing key personnel one after the other.
Out of a job
The end of January saw the firing of Sally Yates. Yates was the attorney general, a position that would go to Jeff Sessions. Yates was fired due to her lack of support for Mr.
Trump's immigration ban. Mid-February would see the highly publicized resignation of Michael Flynn, the national security advisor. According to a New York Times article, Flynn resigned after misleading Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Flynn is a key figure in the investigations into Russian election interference.
The weeks that follow would see the firing of national security council senior director of Western Hemisphere affairs Craig Deare, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, and White House chief usher Angella Reid. Early May would see the controversial firing of James Comey from his position as director of the FBI.
According to a New York Times article, Comey was fired to ease the mounting pressure on Trump during the probe into possible collusion with Russia.
A breakdown in communications
The White House communications team has seen drastic personnel changes over the past few months. It began with the resignation of Michael Dubke who was the White House communications director. Dubke acted as director for three months before tendering his resignation. Trump appointed financier Anthony Scaramucci to take Dubke's place as director. This led to the resignation of Sean Spicer, who disagreed with Trump's pick. Following Spicer's departure, assistant press secretary Michael Short resigned amidst talk of being fired by Scaramucci.
Who's next?
Sessions is not the only one whose position may be in danger. With yet another health care setback, the continued investigation of Russia's involvement in election tampering, White House infighting, and the appointment of a new communications director, no one knows who may be next to leave the Trump administration. Anthony Scaramucci threatened to fire the entire communications team after The New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza received information on a dinner between Trump, the First Lady, Sean Hannity and Bill Shine, a former executive for Fox News. With the firing and resignation of so many key figures, only time will tell what the future holds for those in the Trump administration.
