Donald Trump’s administration has seen various aides leave and the most high profile were those of former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. The latest aide to depart from the White House may not hold a crucial position such as that of Priebus and Bannon, but according to media reports, this one will have a very significant personal impact on the president.
A report by Bloomberg said that the departure of Keith Schiller, Director of Oval Office operations and among the closest confidants of President Donald Trump’ may be “the most damaging” and this worries the president’s allies.
A person close to the president told Bloomberg that Trump was “crushed” by Schiller’s decision to leave. He is considered the protector and gatekeeper in the West Wing and more importantly, an emotional anchor for Donald Trump according to various sources Bloomberg has interviewed.
Return to private security business
According to the news, Schiller, a former bodyguard, is leaving the administration to go back to his private security business, which can provide far greater income than that he is receiving from the government presently.
Deep trust
One key moment in the Trump administration was the firing of FBI Director James Comey. The fact that it was Keith Schiller who was tasked to deliver the letter to the former FBI director stating that the president decided to fire him was clearly seen as an illustration of the deep trust President Trump has in Keith Schiller.
According to a CNN report, Schiller was generally regarded as the "most underestimated person on Trump's team." He was viewed as a “sort-of Trump translator.”
Those who worked for Donald Trump during the campaign said Keith Schiller’s views about them were more important than that of Trump’s campaign manager. Apparently, this impression was carried over when Trump officially set foot in the White House with Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff.
WH under John Kelly
When Marine General John Kelly became Trump’s Chief of Staff, Schiller was reported to have found working under Kelly different and he no longer likes the job that much.
Although Jonh Kelly's new rules for the White House was not the reason for Schiller leaving the Trump administration, Kelly’s appointment may have hastened his decision to return to his private security business.
The report also said that Keith Schiller believes the new White House Chief of Staff only accepted the job out of a sense of duty and that Kelly doesn’t like Trump personally.
Under General John Kelly, the White House has a more formal environment and access to President Trump has tightened.
It still remains to be seen whether Schiller’s departure will truly impact Trump in a major way
