That’s simply not how Donald Trump does business—never has been. Does someone need to impose order on the West Wing? The answer is obvious. But it wouldn’t matter who you put in the job—George Patton, Angelo Dundee, Judge Judy, Darth Vader—if the president is going to outsource significant authority to Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, and other staffers, and allow them to report directly to him, no chief of staff can perform the role as other presidents have utilized it.
Second, consider the context. Obama installed me as his first chief of staff because he needed to hit the ground running to pull the country out of the Great Recession and drive the most progressive agenda since the Great Society. Having worked for Clinton, I already understood how the White House machinery worked. I knew the legislative landscape well, having been a member of the House Democratic leadership. And the president-elect trusted me because of our history working together in Illinois politics. On paper, at least, I appeared to be right for that moment, just as Howard Baker, who had been Senate Majority Leader, was uniquely equipped to lead Ronald Reagan’s White House during the Iran-Contra scandal. Chiefs of staff have to be paired against the challenges of their moment.
It appears that Trump is choosing a chief of staff based primarily on whether he’s equipped to help with his re-election effort. But let’s be honest—that shouldn’t be the president’s most immediate concern.
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