Donald Trump names Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff

Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, is the new White House chief of staff
AFP/Getty Images
Ella Wills15 December 2018

US President Donald Trump has named Mick Mulvaney, the director of the office of management and budget, as acting White House chief of staff.

Mr Mulvaney, 51, will replace General John Kelly who is leaving by the end of the year.

The president tweeted on Friday that Mr Mulvaney "has done an outstanding job" in his administration and would take over next year.

"Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration," he wrote.

"I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! John will be staying until the end of the year. He is a GREAT PATRIOT and I want to personally thank him for his service!"

Mr Trump deemed Mr Mulvaney his "acting chief of staff" but it was not immediately clear what that meant for the length of his tenure.

General John Kelly will leave the role by the end of the year
AFP/Getty Images

It was announced last week that General Kelly, who served in the post for more than a year, would soon be departing.

Mr Trump praised Gen Kelly's service and called him a "great patriot" in the tweet.

Mr Mulvaney, who will be the president's third chief of staff, will now take on his third job in the administration; he is the head of the Office of Management and had simultaneously led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The president's first choice was Nick Ayers, the vice president's chief of staff, who bowed out after being unable to come to an agreement on how long he would serve in the post.

It comes as Mr Trump begins to focus his attention on seeking a second term in 2020 after voters delivered a mixed verdict in the midterm elections.

Candidates for the White House are expected to start throwing their hats into the ring in the new year.

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