ALEXANDRA.
KENNEDY: THE HUNT IS ON FOR THE
NEXT WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF.
DEMOCRATS ARE CLAIMING THE
SHAKEUP IS PROOF THE
ADMINISTRATION IS IN TURMOIL.
BUT THE QUESTION REMAINS, IS
PRESIDENT TRUMP ACTUALLY HIS OWN
BEST CHIEF OF STAFF.
OVER THE WEEKEND WE LEARNED THAT
CURRENT CHIEF JOHN KELLY WILL BE
STEPPING DOWN BY THE END OF THE
YEAR.
HE'S BEEN ON THE JOB JUST SHY OF
A YEAR AND A HALF.
WHICH IN REALITY IS A LONG TIME
TO HOLD THAT POSITION.
BUT YOU'D NEVER KNOW THAT IF YOU
LISTEN TO THE DOOM AND GLOOM ON
MAIN STREET MEDIA.
LAST NIGHT THE PRESIDENT TWEETED
I'M IN THE PROCESS OF
INTERVIEWING REALLY GOOD PEOPLE
FOR THE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF
STAFF.
PEOPLE WERE SAYING WITH
CERTAINTY THAT IT WAS
NEIGHBORING
NIIGHBORING
NICKHBORING
NICKAYORING
NICKAYERING
NICKAYERS.G
AYERS WAS VICE PRESIDENT MIKE
PENCE'S CHIEF OF STAFF.
HE WAS SEEN AS A TOP CONTENDER
BUT HE'S LEAVING THE WHITE HOUSE
TO RUN A SUPER PAC FOR THE
PRESIDENT'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN.
WHO DOES THAT LEAVE IN THE
RUNNING.
CHAIR MARK MEADOWS, STEVE
MNUCHIN, U.S. TRADE
REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT LIGHTHIZER
AND MICK MULVANEY.
MULVANEY IS ON THE FEPS ABOUT
IT, MNUCHIN IS HAPPY IN HIS OWN
ROLE.
ARE THE CLAIMS OF THE WHITE
HOUSE CHAOS JUST OVERBLOWN.
JOINING ME NOW, FORMER TRUMP
CAMPAIGN MANAGER CORY LEW
CAMPAIGN MANAGER COREYLEW
LEWANDOWSKI.
WHAT DOES THE NEXT CHIEF OF
STAFF NEED THAT THE LAST ONES
HAVE LACKED?
>> WELL, I THINK THE NEXT CHIEF
OF STAFF NEEDS TO BE A PERSON
WHO UNDERSTANDS WHAT IS AT STAKE
IN THE 2020 ELECTION CYCLE AND
CANDIDLY EMBRACES THE LET TRUMP
BE TRUMP AGENDA.
THE MANTRA, GET THE PRESIDENT
OUT IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE.
HE'S HIS BEST COMMUNICATIONS
SPOKESPERSON, HE'S THE BEST
PERSON WHEN HE WANTS TO MESSAGE
THINGS.
LET'S PUT HIM OUT IN FRONT OF
THE PEOPLE.
AND THERE THERE TWO VERY
IMPORTANT COMPONENTS THAT THE
CHIEF OF STAFF NEEDS TO HAVE.
NUMBER ONE, AN EYE ON THE 2020
ELECTION AND NUMBER TWO,
UNDERSTAND THE SUBPOENA CANNON
WHICH IS GOING TO FACE THE WHITE
HOUSE.
YOU NEED A PERSON WHO
UNDERSTANDS BOTH SIDES OF THAT
IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS WHITE
HOUSE SUCCESSFUL.
KENNEDY: CONCEIVABLY UNDERSTANDS
HOW THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WORKS.
SO IF THAT IS THE MOST KEY
COMPONENT, WOULD YOU SAY THAT
MARK MEADOWS IS THE BEST PERSON
FOR THE JOB?
>> WELL, MARK IS CLEARLY AN
EXCELLENT PERSON FOR THE JOB,
SOMEBODY WHO IS ON THE TRUMP
AGENDA.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
I'M SELFISH.
DAVE BOSSIE, DEPUTY CAMPAIGN
MANAGER OF THE CAMPAIGN.
HE KNOWS BOTH SIDES OF THESE
THINGS AND HE'S A PERSON WHO
BRINGS SIDES TOGETHER TO GET
THINGS DONE.
KENNEDY: AND YOU HAVE TO ACT AS
A FILTER WHICH WAS ONE OF JOHN
KELLY'S PRIME ROLES WHEN HE
BECAME CHIEF OF STAFF WAS
KEEPING CERTAIN PEOPLE OUT OF
THE OVAL OFFICE WHICH CUT DOWN
ON LEAKS AND DISTRACTION FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
I THINK YOU COULD SAY THAT THAT
WAS ESSENTIALLY A GOOD THING.
YOU TALK ABOUT SOMEONE WHO NEEDS
TO UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL
ATMOSPHERE, ALSO SOMEONE WHO
RESPECTS THE PRESIDENT'S
TEMPERAMENT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DESCRIBING
KELLYANNE CONWAY.
WHY ISN'T HER NAME BEING BANDIED
ABOUT FOR THAT ROLE.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE HAS THE
INTEREST.
SHE HAS YOUNG CHILDREN.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTS THAT
ROLE.
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO HER ABOUT
IT.
SHE WOULD BE A GREAT CHOICE BUT
OTHER CHOICES COULD INCLUDE
GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE --
KENNEDY: NO.
HE WOULD BE AWFUL.
HE'S WAY TOO THIN
SKINNED.
HE RESPONDS TO CRITICISM.
TOO MUCH OF A HOT HEAD AND HE
LIKE TO INSERT HIMSELF.
THE BEST CHIEFS OF STAFF ALLOW
THE PRESIDENT TO FLOURISH AND
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT I DON'T
THINK CHRIS CHRISTIE HAS THAT IN
HIS DNA.
>> YOU DO WANT SOMEBODY WHO
UNDERSTANDS THE LEGAL JEOPARDIES
THAT ARE SUPPOSEDLY FACING THIS
ADMINISTRATION AND SOMEONE WHO
UNDERSTANDS THE POLITICAL
REALITIES.
KELLY ANNE COULD BE A CHOICE.
AND DEENA POB L CULLED COME
AND DEENA POB L COULED COME
AND DEENA POB L COULDD COME
AND DEENA POB L COULD CCOME
AND DEENA POB L COULD COMME
AND DEENA POB L COULD COMEE
AND DEENA POB L COULD COME BACK
AND SERVE.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PRESIDENT
TO TAKE SOME TIME AND DON'T RUSH
THIS DECISION.
BECAUSE JOHN KELLY IS NOT
LEAVING THE BUILDING UNTIL THE
END OF THE YEAR.
HE'S NOT THREE WEEKS.
KENNEDY: YOU KNOW IT'S
DECEMBER 10th, RIGHT?
>> I DO.
AND I KNOW THE PRESIDENT IS
GOING TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION.
DON'T RUSH THE DECISION WHETHER
IT'S MARK MEADOWS, DAVID BOSSIE,
CHRIS CHRISTIE, MANY PEOPLE.
KENNEDY: THIS IS SOMEONE THAT IS
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, INTERIM ATTORNEY
GENERAL, HIS NAME HAS BEEN
THROWN AROUND A LITTLE BIT BUT
REMAINS ON THE PERIPHERY BUT HE
SEEMS LIKE THE KIND OF PERSON
WHO AT LEAST HAS THE PERSONALITY
FOR THE JOB.
YOU HAVE TO TALK TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK STEVE MNUCHIN
WANTS TO RUB ELBOWS WITH THE GP.
>> LOOK, I DON'T KNOW WHITAKER
BUT I DO KNOW THIS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT HIS EXPERIENCE
IS IN THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE OF
THINGS OR THE POLITICAL SIDE OF
THINGS.
AND GOING INTO A 2020 REELECTION
EFFORT, YOU NEED TO HAVE A CHIEF
OF STAFF LIKE AN RAHM EMANUEL OR
KARL ROVE WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT
WAS AT STAKE IN THE REELECTION
EFFORT.
IS THAT HAS TO BE A FOCUS OF
INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
KENNEDY: WOULD YOU DO IT?
>> I WOULD DO WHATEVER THE
PRESIDENT ASKED ME.
BUT THERE ARE MUCH BETTER PEOPLE
THAN ME.