A former senior aide to President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign told Newsmax on Thursday that the president is prioritizing quick results at the Department of Justice as he reshapes its leadership in his second term.
Rick Gates spoke as Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acting attorney general.
On "Ed Henry: The Big Take," Gates said the president's sense of urgency is driven by time constraints.
"The difference between this term and last term is the president knows he only has a limited amount of time," Gates said. "Time is his biggest enemy."
Gates said Trump maintains a friendship with Bondi but is focused on performance.
"The president has a great relationship with Pam, but he's also about results and getting those deliverables done," he said. "And he needs wins."
He added that Trump has little patience for delays from senior officials.
"He doesn't really have a lot of time to give to people, Cabinet secretaries, or whoever to get those wins if they're not doing it in a very quick fashion," Gates said.
He also pointed to discussions of a permanent replacement, naming Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, former Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency as potential candidates.
He described the attorney general role as one of the most challenging positions in Washington, alongside White House press secretary.
"They proved to be both very difficult," Gates said. "And we'll see what happens."
Gates said Trump has "several good candidates to choose from" as he looks to accelerate action at the Justice Department.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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