White House deputy chief of staff Joseph Hagin is planning to exit his position soon, The Washington Post reported.
Hagin was in Singapore earlier in the week helping with arrangements for an upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but could leave almost immediately after returning from that meeting, according to the Post.
"Joe is ready to go… This could be his crowning achievement, this summit. It's time. Joe Hagin has served his time," one confidant told the newspaper.
He has been key to the administration's planning for the June 12 summit, negotiating logistics and making arrangements, the Post noted, and he initially traveled to Singapore in May, but returned after North Koreans did not show up for the meeting.
In the early days of the Trump administration, colleagues often referred to Hagin as "the grown-up in the room," the Post reported.
"Joe sticks to the rules," an associate told the newspaper. "This White House doesn't like that… they say, 'We're going to make America great again. Get out of our way."
Hagin is looking into the CIA's deputy director job now that Gina Haspel has been confirmed as the agency's director, the Post noted.
He was also deputy chief of staff of operations during the George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2008 and worked with Bush's father George H.W. Bush since 1979, the report said.
"Joe has an excellent reputation among the (White House) career and military staff… when Trump hired him, I enjoyed a moment of peace thinking we were in good hands," said Alyssa Mastromonaco, who held the deputy chief of staff for operations job during Barack Obama's administration, The Straits Times in Singapore reported.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.