President Donald Trump has his picks for chief of staff narrowed down to about five people, but he also could choose to extend current Chief of Staff John Kelly's past the first of the year, White House Assistant Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said.
"The president said yesterday, with the newly elected governors in the cabinet room for all the world to see that he had about five people he was considering," Gidley told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "He wants someone to come in here to support his agenda, to help get the agenda passed moving into the next Congress and he will do that."
However, he said he doesn't know what the "actual plan" is for how long Kelly will stay, but said it will be "at least through the end of the year."
"I imagine if he and the president need to work out a deal like that they can," said Gidley. However, he said the president is "going to make another pick," and when that person is picked, Kelly will move on to "his next deal, which I'm sure will be successful."
Trump hasn't made up his mind yet about extending Kelly's time, and "right now, the president has said he has five people and going to make the announcement imminently and we expect him to do just that."
The New York Post reported on Friday that Gidley suggested that Kelly could remain for some time, if a deal is made.
He would not say who is on Trump's short list, leaving that prerogative up to the president.
“I’m not going to tell you who that’s going to be and I definitely don’t have any tips for you,” he said, while ignoring questions about whether former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is under consideration.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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