Trump says ‘very little’ further Cabinet turnover; insists chief of staff change ‘wasn’t about the election’

[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of further personnel changes in the administration, which had been raised following the replacement of the White House chief of staff. He also denied suggestions that the change was prompted by the Republican Party’s midterm rout, seeking to distance himself from responsibility for the election loss.
According to the Associated Press (AP) and other outlets, Trump was asked by reporters at West Palm Beach Airport in Florida on the 6th (local time), ‘Do you expect more people to leave in the coming months?’ He replied, ‘Very little.’ He went on to stress, ‘We have a great Cabinet.’ He had earlier said in an interview with CBS that there could be some changes to the Cabinet, but ruled out the prospect of a major shake-up, reaffirming his strong confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, among others.

Trump selected Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy and a key architect of ‘tough immigration policies,’ to succeed White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Of Miller, who is set to take office on the 9th, Trump said, ‘He’s a great fighter who has been with me since the start of the 2015 presidential campaign,’ and praised him as ‘very loyal and smart, and the MVP every year.’ Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, will move to a position in Trump’s political support organization.
Asked whether the chief of staff change was a punitive move in response to the midterm results on the 3rd, when the governing party lost its majority in both the House and Senate to the opposition, Trump denied it, saying, ‘It wasn’t because of the election. Sometimes you make a change.’
In particular, responding to questions about the reasons for the election rout, he vigorously defended himself against claims that he was responsible, saying, ‘That wasn’t my election. My name wasn’t on the ballot.’ He praised his campaign rallies in support of other candidates as ‘the biggest and strongest in history,’ and claimed, ‘If I had been on the ballot, the result would have been very different.’ However, observers have pointed out that this contrasts with his appeals to voters during the campaign to ‘vote as if I were on the ballot.’
Meanwhile, Trump struck a positive tone about the possibility of working with the Democratic-led Congress that will steer the country’s political course going forward. Citing immigration, tax issues such as tax cuts, and economic development, he said, ‘I think we can do a lot together.’ He added that he was ‘very open’ to meeting with some newly elected lawmakers who want to discuss current issues.


[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter