President Trump took to Twitter to announce Office of Management and Budget Director and Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Mick Mulvaney as his Acting Chief of Staff effective January 1, 2019. Mulvaney succeeds John Kelly and will now become Trump's third Chief of Staff in less than two years in office. The fact that his title is Acting Chief of Staff shows how tenuous Mulvaney's position is before he has even started.
Mulvaney must be a glutton for punishment. Even former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie didn't want the job. For awhile it looked like Trump would have to turn to former MLB slugger Jose Canseco who volunteered for the position.
On the other hand, Mulvaney could be more in simpatico with Trump than his predecessors. Trump always had an uneasy relationship with Kelly and Reince Priebus. Mulvaney, then a Congressman from South Carolina, had no trouble endorsing Trump after initially supporting Rand Paul's White House bid. If Trump and Mulvaney can establish a viable working relationship in 2019 it could be key seeing his way in surviving the Mueller probe. So I don't want to underestimate Mulvaney.
But there's a good chance this will be a bumpy ride.
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