Newsmax CEO and Trump confidant told ABC News Sunday that the President is set to once again shake up his administration.
Trump confidante Chris Ruddy says he spoke with the president yesterday and that Trump is "perplexed" by reports there is "chaos at the White House," adding: "He's expecting to make one or two major changes to his government very soon." https://t.co/IxKzyqZXm3 pic.twitter.com/eezakXNZCU
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 25, 2018
“The president told me he’s perplexed by all of these reports there’s chaos at the White House or mass staff changes. He told me that he thinks the White House is operating like a smooth machine, his words. He did say that he’s expecting to make one or two major changes to his government very soon and that’s going to be it,” Ruddy told ABC News.
“Now, other White House source, not the president, tell me the Veterans Affairs secretary David Shulkin is likely to depart the Cabinet very soon. But other reports, people like Ben Carson, I’m told the president is happy with the job he’s doing. He will be staying. Chief of Staff Kelly, the president, is happy with the job he is doing,” Ruddy added.
Here’s what Johnathan Swan of Axios is hearing:
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago buddy Chris Ruddy made a splash on TV today, telling ABC’s “This Week” that the president told him yesterday he expected to make “one or two major changes to his — to his government very soon.” Ruddy went on to say that “other White House sources, not the president, tell me that Veterans Affairs Secretary David [Shulkin] is likely to depart the Cabinet very soon.”
Here’s what I know about the Shulkin situation, from conversations with sources involved in the sensitive discussions and with sources — (not Ruddy) — who’ve spoken with Trump as recently as yesterday: Trump hasn’t made any final decisions yet. The president has, however, lost confidence in the VA Secretary and is strongly inclined towards replacing him. […]
Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter, another Mar-a-Lago friend of the president’s, is playing a major backstage role in shaping Trump’s thinking about Shulkin. Perlmutter originally recommended Shulkin to Trump, but a source familiar with his thinking tells me Perlmutter “feels betrayed by Shulkin and regrets ever putting his name in front of the president.”
