Trump’s botched execution on Katie Zacharia speaks volumes about Susie Wiles’ future

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, appears to have defused talk of her own replacement by letting a rival hire fail in public. Politico reported that President Donald Trump had phoned friends and informal advisors about swapping out Wiles, the longest-serving person in that job under him, and was floating possible successors. Natalie Harp reportedly brought him articles on the idea, and Wiles's team reportedly worked the phones to gather support, according to The Independent.

The backdrop was Trump's decision to name Katie Zacharia press secretary without telling Wiles, who had been courting CNN commentator Scott Jennings for the role. Zacharia's Tuesday briefing lasted 14 minutes, much of it read from a script. Questions then arose over her description of herself as a lawyer, and she acknowledged failing the California bar exam. After a poor interview with Sean Hannity and another on Fox & Friends, she was out by Friday.

Politico sources called the Fox bookings a sanctioned hit by Wiles. Steven Cheung denied it, and Fox News said Hannity books his own guests. Trump says there is "zero chance" he will replace Wiles. The Independent's reading is that the episode shows what happens when Trump bypasses her.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →