Mark Meadows out of running for Trump's chief of staff

House Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows is no longer being considered as a replacement to White House chief of staff John Kelly, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Wednesday.

"Congressman Mark Meadows is a great friend to President Trump and is doing an incredible job in [C]ongress. The President told him we need him in Congress so he can continue the great work he is doing there."

Why it matters: As Axios' Jonathan Swan previously reported, President Trump had floated the idea of installing Meadows as Kelly's permanent replacement after his first choice, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers, fell through. A source with direct knowledge has told Axios that Trump will make a decision on Kelly's replacement by the end of the year.