President Donald Trump is culling the ranks again. This time, amid the tumult of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s departure, was the abrupt firing of a less public figure: Trump’s personal assistant John McEntee.
McEntee, who has been by Trump’s side for the past three years, was escorted out of the White House on Monday afternoon, the Wall Street Journal reported. There are few details about his firing, except that it was related to serious financial crimes. McEntee left without his belongings and wasn’t even able to grab his jacket as he was escorted out of the White House and into the chilly environs outside.
BREAKING: Trump aide Johnny McEntee was fired because he is currently under investigation by DHS for serious financial crimes, a source familiar tells our @kaitlancollins The source added the charges are not Trump related.
— Allie Malloy (@AlliemalCNN) March 13, 2018
But it doesn’t appear that McEntee will be gone forever. The assistant will join Trump’s 2020 campaign as a senior adviser, according to a statement from the presidential campaign that was reported by the WSJ.
Trump announced via Twitter on Tuesday morning that he is replacing Tillerson with current CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Tillerson’s departure just over a year into the Trump administration puts him on a short list of high-level government officials whose tenure have been incredibly brief. It’s not the shortest stint ever. But it comes close. James G. Blaine, who filled the role for just nine months under President James Garfield in 1881, had the briefest tenure as Secretary of State.
