“He’s like a kid. His role at the dinner table is to be seen and not heard”.
That’s what one GOP source close to the White House told Politico about Mick Mulvaney’s status in the Trump administration. “He is there. I’ll leave it at that”, the person added.
Mulvaney has never occupied the chief of staff role in anything other than an “acting” capacity, despite having stepped in for John Kelly nearly a year ago. Mick’s accidental admission to a quid pro quo during an infamous press briefing in October likely sealed his fate. (Hours after telling reporters to “get over it” when it comes to Trump’s badgering of foreign leaders for assistance with US elections, Mulvaney feebly attempted to suggest he didn’t say what he said.)
Read more: ‘That’s Why We Held Up The Money’: Did Mick Mulvaney Just Accidentally Impeach Trump?
Five aides told Politico he’s expected to depart once the impeachment trial ends, almost surely in an acquittal, despite Mulvaney’s best efforts to accidentally doom the president.
His replacement: Very possibly Trump sycophant Mark Meadows.
“The news Thursday that Republican Rep. Mark Meadows would not seek reelection and would instead work in some capacity for the president was interpreted throughout the White House and Trump world as Meadows morphing into Trump’s chief of staff in waiting – ready to assume the position in a second term if Trump wins reelection”, Politico notes, adding that Meadows has “been spotted around the West Wing in recent weeks” and is “also close to Jared Kushner… whom the outgoing congressman often speaks with multiple times per week”.
Mulvaney billed his strategy for the chief of staff position as “Let Trump be Trump”. If “this time it’s different” are the four most dangerous words in investing, “Let Trump be Trump” might very fairly be the four most dangerous words in politics, something John Kelly knows all too well. In an October interview with the Washington Examiner, Kelly said he warned the president that choosing a “yes man” for chief of staff would lead to his impeachment. Trump chose a “yes man” in Mulvaney and sure enough, he was impeached.
Following his Freudian slip in October, reports indicated Trump was openly floating Kellyanne Conway and Steve Mnuchin as possible replacements for Mulvaney who is, of course, a central figure in the Ukraine affair. Among other things, Mulvaney is widely seen as the man behind the decision to hold up some $400 million in military aid and was also instrumental in handing Ukraine policy to Gordon Sondland, Kurt Volker and Rick Perry (the “three amigos”, as they came to call themselves).
Senate Democrats want to hear from Mulvaney in Trump’s trial, but Mitch McConnell is having none of it. Mulvaney stonewalled the House and briefly attempted to join a lawsuit filed by John Bolton’s former deputy Charles Kupperman, who asked a federal judge to determine which takes precedence: congressional subpoenas or Trump’s order not to comply with them.
In any case, Mulvaney is almost surely done, and he might not be the only high-profile, post-impeachment departure. On Thursday evening, Bloomberg said Trump has also mused about replacing White House counsel Pat Cipollone (and his giant signature).
“The president in the past two to three weeks has asked some senior White House staffers as well as a House member and a senator who are close allies about bringing in a new top in-house lawyer”, Bloomberg said, citing sources, who indicated that in the president’s estimation, “Cipollone should be more aggressive”.
That’s pretty amusing considering how aggressive Cipollone comes across in any letter he signs his name to. His departure is hardly imminent, though. Indeed, he’ll likely represent Trump in the Senate trial. Trump called him “fantastic” this week.
Hilariously, Bloomberg goes on to note that “the questions [about Cipollone] reflect a struggle within the White House over Trump’s defense strategy, putting Cipollone at odds with Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney”.
That’s Trump’s “well-oiled machine” for you.
If all goes as “planned”, Mick and Pat can sort out their differences over drinks once they’re both booted from 1600 Penn. They can invite Steve Bannon, Reince Priebus, Jim Mattis, John Kelly, Don McGahn, and HR McMaster if they want to liven up the conversation. Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort would probably love to come too, but they’ll be too busy being in prison.
Hmmm, this acquittal in the Senate might just be delayed considerably, which might give lame Mick a little breathing room. If Pelosi cannot agree to better terms with McConnell regarding calling witnesses at the Senate trial she might hold on to those articles of impeachment for awhile. Meanwhile the Democrats can avail themselves of the courts to try and force Mick, et. al. to testify in the House, before the trial in the Senate. After all, Trump is now already impeached, which is really as good as it gets for this process, unless new witnesses and information surfaces. Going to the Senate after accepting McConnell’s show trial rules will only lead to an acquittal, so why bother? Plus, it will drive him crazy.
Drinks at the trump DC hotel. Even when kicked to the curb still have to give the don money and kiss the ring (and a$$)