Hired and Fired: the Unprecedented Turnover of the Trump Administration
President Trump's record-breaking staff churn continues, with departures of top officials becoming routine.
On April 10, Thomas P. Bossert, Mr. Trump's chief adviser on homeland security, was forced out by John R. Bolton, the president's new national security adviser.
On March 28, President Trump announced in a Twitter post that he planned to replace David J. Shulkin, the secretary of veterans affairs, with his White House physician, Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, a rear admiral in the Navy.
Less than a week earlier, Mr. Trump had decided to replace Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Mr. Trump's national security adviser, with John R. Bolton.
These shake-ups come after Mr. Trump's dismissal of Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson via Twitter in mid-March and at least two dozen other departures during his tenure — so far.
Some roles have been more volatile than others. For example, there have been four White House communications directors, with stints ranging from less than a week (Anthony Scaramucci) to more than six months (Hope Hicks). Sean Spicer, while serving as press secretary, filled the position twice — once in an acting capacity after Michael Dubke resigned.
Communications director
5
Resigned
4
Fired
3
Interim
2
Resigned
1
Secretary of health and human services
4
Current
3
Interim
2
Interim
1
Forced out
National security adviser
4
Current
3
Forced out
2
Interim
1
Fired
Secretary of Homeland Security
3
Current
2
Interim
1
Moved
Secretary of veterans affairs
3
Announced
2
Interim
1
Fired
Secretary of state
2
Nominated
1
Fired
C.I.A. director
2
Announced
1
Moved
Chief of staff
2
Current
1
Forced out
Chief economic adviser
2
Current
1
Resigned
Press secretary
2
Current
1
Resigned
The flurry of changes at the White House and cabinet level so early in a president's administration is "unprecedented," according to Max Stier, the president and chief executive of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit organization that specializes in federal government management issues.
"The disruption is highly consequential," Mr. Stier said. "When you lose a leader, it has a cascade effect throughout the organization."
A New York Times analysis of 21 top White House and cabinet positions back to President Bill Clinton's first term shows how unusual the upheaval is through the first 14 months of a presidency. Nine of these positions have turned over at least once during the Trump administration, compared with three at the same point of the Clinton administration, two under President Barack Obama and one under President George W. Bush.
Turnover IndicatorNumber of people who held a position
Donald J. Trump
George W. Bush
On several occasions, Mr. Trump has filled newly open positions with officials already in his administration. He chose Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, to replace Mr. Tillerson, and Mr. Pompeo's deputy, Gina Haspel, to replace Mr. Pompeo. Ms. Hicks, a longtime aide and confidant, took over communications after Mr. Scaramucci's disastrous tenure. And Kirstjen Nielsen, who now leads the Department of Homeland Security, crisscrossed from that department to the White House and then back again.
"There's a pull to fill from within, but that's often a bad idea," Mr. Stier said. "Not only does it create a new vacancy but you're also not expanding the talent pool. One of the primary leadership challenges is getting information from outside the bubble you exist in."
Full List of Major Departures
Forced out April 10, 2018
Thomas P. Bossert
White House homeland security adviser
Mr. Bossert was the first major casualty of John R. Bolton, Mr. Trump's new national security adviser, according to current and former officials. They said Mr. Bolton fired him and moved some of his duties directly under the National Security Council. Read more »
Firing announced March 13, 2018
Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
Mr. Tillerson learned he had been fired when a top aide showed him a tweet from Mr. Trump announcing that he would be replaced by Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director. Read more »
Resigned March 29, 2018
Hope Hicks
White House communications director
Ms. Hicks, one of Mr. Trump's most trusted advisers, announced in early March that she would resign in the coming weeks. Read more »
Fired March 28, 2018
David J. Shulkin
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
After weeks of uncertainty, Mr. Trump said he planned to replace Mr. Shulkin with his White House physician, Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, a rear admiral in the Navy. Read more »
Resignation announced March 22, 2018
Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster
White House national security adviser
General McMaster resigned under pressure after it became clear that Mr. Trump wanted him out. He will be replaced by John R. Bolton, a hard-line former United States ambassador to the United Nations. Read more »
Resigned March 16, 2018
Rick Dearborn
White House deputy chief of staff
Mr. Dearborn had been overseeing a broad cross section of departments, including the political department. Read more »
Fired March 16, 2018
Andrew McCabe
F.B.I. deputy director
Mr. McCabe was fired after the Justice Department rejected an appeal that would have let him retire. He is accused in a yet-to-be-released internal report of failing to be forthcoming about a conversation he authorized between F.B.I. officials and a journalist. Read more »
Forced out March 12, 2018
John McEntee
President Trump's personal aide
Mr. McEntee, who served as President Trump's personal assistant since Mr. Trump won the presidency, was forced out of his position and escorted from the White House after an investigation into his finances caused his security clearance to be revoked. Read more »
Resignation announced March 6, 2018
Gary D. Cohn
Director of White House National Economic Council
The announcement of the resignation of Mr. Cohn, Mr. Trump's top economic adviser, came as Mr. Cohn seemed poised to lose an internal struggle over the president's plan to impose large tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Read more »
Resigned Feb. 9, 2018
Rachel L. Brand
Associate attorney general
The No. 3 official at the Justice Department stepped down after nine months to take a job as the global governance director at Walmart. Read more »
Forced out Feb. 9, 2018
David Sorensen
White House speechwriter
Mr. Sorensen resigned after a news report detailed accusations from a former wife who said he had abused her during their marriage. Read more »
Forced out Feb. 7, 2018
Rob Porter
White House staff secretary
Mr. Porter resigned one day after his two former wives accused him in interviews of physical abuse during their marriages. Read more »
Forced out Jan. 31, 2018
Brenda Fitzgerald
Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Ms. Fitzgerald resigned over troubling financial investments in tobacco and health care companies that posed potential conflicts of interest. Read more »
Forced out Jan. 18, 2018
Carl Higbie
Chief of external affairs for Corporation for National and Community Service
Resigned under pressure after CNN surfaced disparaging remarks he had made in the past about black people, Muslims, gays and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Read more »
Fired Dec. 13, 2017
Omarosa Manigault Newman
Director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison
A former contestant on Mr. Trump's reality TV show "The Apprentice," Ms. Newman was fired by Mr. Trump's chief of staff, John F. Kelly. Read more »
Resignation announced Dec. 8, 2017
Dina H. Powell
White House deputy national security adviser
One of the most influential women in the Trump administration, Ms. Powell is returning to Goldman Sachs. Read more »
Forced out Sept. 29, 2017
Tom Price
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Mr. Price resigned under pressure after racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel bills for chartered flights. Read more »
Resigned Sept. 20, 2017
Keith Schiller
Director of Oval Office operations
Mr. Trump's longtime aide and former bodyguard decided to leave the White House soon after Mr. Kelly arrived. Read more »
Forced out Aug. 25, 2017
Sebastian Gorka
Adviser
Mr. Gorka was forced out shortly after Mr. Bannon left the White House. Read more »
Resignation announced Aug. 18, 2017
George Sifakis
Director of White House Office of Public Liaison
Mr. Sifakis stepped down soon after Reince Priebus, Mr. Trump's first chief of staff, was forced out.
Forced out Aug. 18, 2017
Stephen K. Bannon
Chief strategist
Mr. Trump's populist chief strategist was pushed out shortly after Mr. Kelly took over as chief of staff. Read more »
Fired July 31, 2017
Anthony Scaramucci
White House communications director
Mr. Scaramucci was fired on Mr. Kelly's first day in the White House. His dismissal came days after he unloaded a crude verbal tirade against other members of the president's staff in a conversation with a reporter for The New Yorker. Read more »
Forced out July 28, 2017
Reince Priebus
White House chief of staff
Mr. Priebus was forced out after a stormy six-month tenure. Read more »
Resigned July 21, 2017
Sean Spicer
White House press secretary
Mr. Spicer resigned after telling Mr. Trump he vehemently disagreed with his appointment of Mr. Scaramucci as his new communications director. Read more »
Resigned June 2, 2017
Mike Dubke
White House communications director
Mr. Dubke told colleagues he was resigning for reasons that were "personal." Read more »
Forced out May 19, 2017
K. T. McFarland
White House deputy national security adviser
Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster pushed Ms. McFarland out after he took over for Michael T. Flynn, Mr. Trump's first national security adviser. She was nominated as ambassador to Singapore but withdrew her nomination after it stalled in the Senate. Read more »
Fired May 9, 2017
James B. Comey
F.B.I. director
Mr. Trump said on national television that he fired Mr. Comey because he was frustrated over the F.B.I.'s investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 campaign and its possible contacts with Mr. Trump's advisers. Read more »
Forced out March 30, 2017
Katie Walsh
White House deputy chief of staff
Ms. Walsh was forced out by Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, and other West Wing officials.
Forced out Feb. 13, 2017
Michael T. Flynn
White House national security adviser
Mr. Flynn was forced to resign amid questions about whether he lied to administration officials about the nature of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States. Read more »