Meadows under fire as Trump chief of staff for handling of pandemic and other crises

Many of those with whom he works, however, say the former House lawmaker has struggled with the management challenges of the chief-of-staff position — sending mixed messages in stimulus negotiations, bungling aspects of Trump’s recent coronavirus hospitalization and regularly failing to communicate inside the West Wing and with many other parts of the administration…

Frustrations in the West Wing boiled over earlier this month when Trump went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after contracting the novel coronavirus. Meadows, as the president noted, was the only aide to fly with him on Oct. 2 to the Bethesda hospital.

Four senior administration officials said there was no communication for several days from Meadows to the staff about the president’s condition; whether the West Wing would partially close and whether they should work from home; what precautions were in place after the widespread infections; or how many other staffers had the virus…

Some staffers say Meadows acts more like a politician himself than a staffer. He has distributed challenge coins — a memorial trinket — with his name emboldened on them to others, including staff on Air Force One. He brings his wife, Debbie, and other family members on Air Force One, taking seats that would usually be reserved for other West Wing staffers. He recently sat behind Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court nominee, during her hearings on Capitol Hill, startling other staffers. He speaks with the media far more often than his predecessors.