30 July, 2017
House Majority Leader Paul Ryan threw his support behind his "close friend" Preibus during his weekly briefing, saying: "I think he's doing a great job as chief of staff".
However, he said he feels confident Trump will protect Iowa's status as the first state to vote in the presidential nominating process - the biggest national priority for Iowa's state parties - and likes John Kelly, the Homeland Security secretary Trump appointed as Priebus' successor.
Trump also tweeted that he was proud of his former chief of staff.
Long under siege and seemingly on borrowed time after Trump hired Anthony Scaramucci as his Communications Director, which prompted the exit of Priebus ally Sean Spicer, Priebus told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that he resigned Thursday evening.
Priebus had initially tried to block Scaramucci from an earlier post in the White House. Trump also promoted his Deputy Sarah sanders as the new White House Press Secretary.
Kelly has been a staunch supporter of Trump, during his election campaign days.
A Marine, Kelly served in the military for almost five decades and served in positions including chief of Southern Command and senior assistant to the secretary of defence, CNN reported.
"Having a friend in the White House that you've known before, that friend acquired that kind of power - yeah, there's a comfort level there, no doubt about it", Kaufmann said.
Priebus, who was brought on by the outsider President in large part because of his Washington relationships, also wound up carrying a hefty share of the blame for the White House's legislative stumbles.
Kelly, 67, is a retired four star general of the Marine Corps and was tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security on January 20. That put him at odds with top Trump advisor Steve Bannon, a firebrand who helped to inspire some of the protectionism and harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric that has marked Trump's candidacy and now presidency. The entire Administration loves him and no one is comparable.
Gen. Kelly will be sworn in Monday morning. In the notes, Comey said Trump had asked him to drop the FBI investigation into activities by former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
In a separate tweet, the President thanked Priebus for his service. "I was wrong. You accomplish great things everyday defending our nation and I know your exceptional work will continue".
"That will be up to the president", he said. The comment came in a since-deleted tweet that mentioned Priebus' Twitter handle.
"Look, the president wanted to go in a different direction", he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
"I can't think of a better person than General John Kelly to succeed me and I wish him God's blessings and great success".
It's official: Reince Priebus, Donald Trump's beleaguered chief of staff, is out.
In fact, he chatted with Priebus repeatedly during the flight.
JUDY WOODRUFF: And we don't know what is going to happen to the attorney general at this point.
"We don't talk that way down here", Hayes said.
Priebus, a Wisconsin native, joined the administration as chief of staff after a almost six-year tenure as chairman of the RNC, the final months of which he spent in a dual role as a top adviser to Trump's campaign.
