Official Washington and its cocktail circuit were surprised Friday night by the timing of President Donald Trump's announcement he was tapping Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., as White House chief of staff.
But the fact acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney was on the way out and his successor was sure to be Meadows has been forseen for nearly two months.
The day four-termer Meadows announced he was not seeking re-election Dec. 19, Newsmax reported: "Trump is dissatisfied with his current chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, several sources close to the White House say he would prefer the more activist Meadows — a fierce Trump loyalist and former chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus."
White House sources told us the president has reportedly been upset with his acting chief of staff at several points during the impeachment inquiry — notably during his Oct. 17 appearance before the White House press corps when he said "Get over it – there's going to be political influence in foreign policy."
Despite numerous assurances about Mulvaney being safe in his job, as the president told reporters who questioned him before takeoffs of the presidential helicopter Marine One – one high administration source insisted to Newsmax earlier this year "it's not a matter of whether Mick will go but when."
A builder and developer – like Trump – Meadows has long made little secret of his desire to be his friend's chief of staff.
At the time, Newsmax reported Meadows might just get the top job in the White House, Chris Whipple, author of the best-selling book "The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency," told us: "Without singling anyone out by name, I would simply say the last thing Trump needs is another sycophant as White House chief of staff."
Veteran North Carolina political analyst Marc Rotterman, a friend of both Trump and Meadows, differed sharply.
"Mark Meadows is a Trump loyalist and the perfect pick to be at the helm going into the election," Rotterman told Newsmax. "His only agenda is helping the president succeed. He has great political instincts and intuitively understands the Trump base."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.