Trump’s newest chief of staff Mark Meadows is already facing damaging leaks from White House staffers
President Donald Trump’s new White House chief of staff is already in hot water after just a couple of weeks on the job.
Mark Meadows, who resigned from Congress in late March to begin work in the White House, quickly pushed out legislative liaison Mike McKenna and then replaced press secretary Stephanie Grisham — and other aides could soon be on their way out, reported Bloomberg.
The North Carolina Republican has also ruffled feathers by calling Republican governors who have resisted issuing stay-at-home orders and asking them to do so immediately, according to two people familiar with the calls.
The president has said those decisions are the responsibility of individual governors and has not publicly criticized those who held out — all of them Republicans — and it’s not clear whether Meadows had his blessing to make the calls.
Meadows has ratcheted up tensions in a White House known for infighting and frequent turnover, according to multiple sources.
Two sources told Bloomberg that Meadows told Grisham over the weekend that he wanted her to give up the press secretary job and serve only as communications director, but she declined.
Grisham stepped down and returned to her job as first lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff.
Top aides say they are trying to work with Meadows but complained that he didn’t spend enough time learning how the West Wing works before making changes.
Meadows also pushed out Jessica Ditto, who had worked for Trump since 2016 and was the primary spokeswoman for Ivanka Trump.
One source said aides have gone to Meadows to suggest other staffers to push out, which has raised anxiety and damaged morale.
