Oh how the mighty have fallen. Or maybe they were never all that mighty to begin with?
The list of first-year resignations and firings from top posts in the Trump White House is unprecedented. The epic 18-name list of former senior officials ranges from Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and convicted National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, gone the first weeks, to FBI Director James Comey and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to white supremacists advisors Sebastian Gorka and Steve Bannon.
And who could forget the 11-day tenure of Anthony “the mooch” Scaramucci?
Today a 19th name was added to the list. Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Rick Dearborn, who worked on Trump’s campaign as well.
Unlike many of the 2017 White House exits, there is no reason to suspect that they are leaving on bad terms. Rather, like so many in today’s GOP, he’s taking the revolving door into the private sector where his remuneration will surely far exceed any government salary he could possibly be eligible for as a public servant.
Dearborn’s boss at the White House, Chief of Staff John Kelly, praised the departing deputy, saying:
“Rick loyally served the president for two and a half years and brought tremendous energy to the White House staff… He’s a super guy and it breaks my heart to see him leave, but I look forward to his continued personal friendship and support for the president’s agenda.”
Dearborn was responsible for the Trump administration’s public outreach and legislative affairs operations and viewed the passage of the GOP tax bill as a “finale” for his work in the White House, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Whether they are emulating rats abandoning a sinking ship or merely cashing in while the corporate world is still basking in their lucrative tax giveaway, a number of Trump administration officials are expected to continue towards the exit doors as the administration approaches its first anniversary. Getting out while the getting is good is always the best strategy.
