Donald Trump has been the President of the United States for less than two months, but he's already facing controversy and growing backlash against his administration. While Trump has publicly defended his administration, what is happening behind the scenes tells a different story.
Trump on Priebus
After it was announced that Donald Trump had defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to become the new commander in chief, all eyes shifted onto who would surround the president in the White House. As Trump announced his staff picks and cabinet nominees, most received criticism from the mainstream media and political opponents.
However, when Trump decided on former Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus as his new Chief of Staff, it went off without a hitch. Despite this, Priebus has come under fire by members of the administration, including Trump himself. As reported by Politico on March 5, Priebus is not in the good graces of the leader of the free world.
Knives are out for Reince https://t.co/BUMLUchcP9 pic.twitter.com/hKtYk1GooF
— POLITICO (@politico) March 6, 2017
According to the report in Politico, over a 12 members of the administration's staff confirmed that the "knives are out" for Reince Priebus who has become the "singular target of criticism." Priebus was described as a "micro-manager who sprints from one West Wing meeting to another," attempting to get himself involved in every aspect of the White House, while allegedly trying to prevent access of other advisors and staff from reaching Trump.
"There's a real frustration among many, including (Donald Trump) that things aren't going as smoothly as one had hoped," one top adviser told Politico.
The ‘knives are out’ for Reince Priebus in Trump’s cutthroat, chaotic White House: report https://t.co/6B44864OIM pic.twitter.com/GGzwL3Biw1
— Raw Story (@RawStory) March 6, 2017
Tensions rise
Another source close to the White House described the job Reince Priebus has done as "sheer incompetence," saying he displays a "lack of management" as well as a "lack of strategy." Others went into more personal detail, criticizing the relationship between Priebus and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, noting, "There's a lot of distrust." While it's unknown if the Chief of Staff's job is on the line, it appears obvious that tension is continuing to grow in the White House.