Palace intrigue

The first domino in the latest shake-up is likely to be the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who is a close ally of Mr. Kelly, White House officials said. The president has decided to replace Ms. Nielsen, but hasn’t finalized the timing, White House officials said, in part because there isn’t an obvious candidate to replace her. Changes are also being contemplated for the National Security Council.

Mr. Trump has told aides that he is aware that forcing out Ms. Nielsen may result in Mr. Kelly quitting, administration officials said. Mr. Trump has told these aides that he is resigned to the possibility of Mr. Kelly leaving, and that he probably will replace Mr. Kelly with Nick Ayers, who is currently chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence.

  WSJ

And wouldn't that be ballsy? What does Pence think of that? I'm sure Dick in Chief doesn't care what Pence thinks, and he could be getting worried about Pence going up against him in 2020. On the other hand, he could be telling intentional lies so they will get leaked to the press and he can cry 'Fake News!'

The president has also decided to remove Mira Ricardel, the top deputy for national security adviser John Bolton, officials said. A National Security Council spokeswoman declined to comment.

Not even Bolton gets a say in who his staff is? Nice.

The president became involved in that decision at the urging of first lady Melania Trump, whose staff battled with Ms. Ricardel during the first lady’s trip to Africa last month over seating on the plane and requests to use National Security Council resources, according to people familiar with the matter.

Figures. She's just as petty and tyrannical as he is.

The first lady’s team told the president that they suspect Ms. Ricardel is behind some negative stories about Ms. Trump and her staff.

It could be anyone, folks. That's not the best place for employment these days. And when you have an ignoramus like Melania, who will wear a coat that proclaims "I don't care" in huge white letters, negative stories don't need a tattle tale.

Did anyone ever figure out why she was absent from that trip where they claimed she was having some routine procedure in hospital, but stayed there for several days?

Ms. Ricardel also repeatedly clashed with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Pentagon team over staffing decisions and policy differences, according to people familiar with the feud. That discord has created a chill in relations between Ms. Ricardel and Defense Department officials wary of her intentions, these people say.

Ms. Ricardel has served as a vital ally for Mr. Bolton as he settled into his West Wing role after taking the national security job in April. Mr. Bolton lost another loyalist last month when his longtime friend, Fred Fleitz, stepped down after serving just six months as chief of staff and executive secretary for the National Security Council.

[...]

Mr. Kelly has been looking for ways to force Ms. Ricardel out for weeks. Two weeks ago, Mr. Kelly cited Ms. Trump’s concerns as he pushed Mr. Bolton to replace her, but Mr. Bolton resisted, officials said.

Ms. Trump and her staff then discussed the issue with the president during the trip to Paris, White House officials said.

[...]

Mr. Bolton, meanwhile, has been among those pushing for Ms. Nielsen’s ouster, officials said. The Washington Post reported Mr. Trump’s decision to remove Ms. Nielsen on Monday.

The place is a bubbling cesspool.

In recent days, Mr. Trump referred to Mr. Ayers in the present tense as his chief of staff, one White House official said. Mr. Trump has told officials that he expects to offer Mr. Ayers the job when Mr. Kelly leaves.

Some White House officials believed that Mr. Trump would make the switch to Mr. Ayers on his return from Paris on Sunday. The move is backed by two key advisers, Mr. Kushner and Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and senior adviser who is also married to Mr. Kushner.

Mr. Ayers, who didn’t accompany Vice President Pence on a trip to Asia last week, declined to comment.

Oh, yeah. He's going over. Maybe, if Pence is as clever as I hear he is, he'll have gotten Ayers to take the position and jam up the works to clear the way for Pence to run against His Lardship in 2020 - or even get an impeachment hearing out of the deal.

On the flight from Paris to Washington on Sunday, several top aides urged Mr. Trump not to choose Mr. Ayers.

Are they thinking the same thing?

“This is how the president works,” one White House official said. “He’s doused a bunch of people in gasoline and he’s waiting for someone to light a match.”

What a fun place to work.

 ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE:

And this is how Melania (the "most bullied person in the world") works:



UPDATE 11/14:  There she goes.