The astonishing list of Trump officials who threatened to quit
- Mike Allen, author of Axios AM
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters. The day before, his homeland security secretary let it be known she considered quitting. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
President Trump sees his improvisational and impulsive style as the indispensable key to his leadership. Those around him often see it as infuriating — and reason to quit.
The latest incident: "Kirstjen Nielsen, the homeland security secretary, told colleagues she was close to resigning after President Trump berated her on Wednesday in front of the entire cabinet for what he said was her failure to adequately secure the nation’s borders," the N.Y. Times and others report.
The list of top Trump officials who have threatened to quit after Trump pulled a Trump is astonishing:
- White House Chief of Staff John Kelly (multiple times)
- White House Counsel Don McGahn
- (then-) National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster
- (then-) economic adviser Gary Cohn
- (then-) Chief Strategist Steve Bannon
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions
- FBI Director Christopher Wray
- (then-) Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Reality check: In Normal Times, over the course of an entire presidency it's unusual for even one or two top-level people to let it be known publicly they want to resign out of frustration.