President Donald Trump has grown more resistant to White House chief of staff John Kelly's suggestions, The Hill reports.
According to unnamed sources in Trump's "orbit," Kelly has fallen out of favor with Trump less than a year after taking the job. A former administration official described Kelly as having "ruled the West Wing with an iron fist" in his first six months, but said, "I don't think that is the case any longer."
Another sources said that Kelly "is frustrated because his influence has been diminished and he cannot control what the president does."
Some insiders speculate that some of Trump's sudden policy decisions were made in part to show his defiance of his chief of staff. They also point to John Bolton and Larry Kudlow's recent appointments as signs that Kelly's position has weakened.
Many sources added that Trump has become even more eager to follow his instincts in the last few weeks.
"Now Trump isn't talking to Kelly about this stuff anymore — 'what is your opinion on the Syria issue?' — because what the president is becoming more comfortable with is his intuition, his gut. That's what is driving him," said the source within Trump's orbit.
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