Trump is putting Never Trumpers in his administration on notice via his new head for the U.S. Presidential Personnel Office:
Johnny McEntee called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting Thursday, in which he asked them to identify political appointees across the US government who are believed to be anti-Trump, per 3 sources familiar w meeting. https://t.co/l6Kj8wdT9F
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) February 21, 2020
McEntee told staff that those identified as anti-Trump will no longer get promotions by shifting them around agencies.
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) February 21, 2020
But McEntee suggested the most dramatic changes may have to wait until after the November election.
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) February 21, 2020
Here’s more from Axios:
Johnny McEntee called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting Thursday, in which he asked them to identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump, three sources familiar with the meeting tell Axios.
Behind the scenes: McEntee, a 29-year-old former body man to Trump who was fired in 2018 by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly but recently rehired — and promoted to head the presidential personnel office — foreshadowed sweeping personnel changes across government.
But McEntee suggested the most dramatic changes may have to wait until after the November election.
Trump has empowered McEntee — whom he considers an absolute loyalist — to purge the “bad people” and “Deep State.”
McEntee told staff that those identified as anti-Trump will no longer get promotions by shifting them around agencies.
It sounds like to me this has a lot to do with the election this year. I’m sure it’s more than that, with Trump wanting to be effective and all. But when the election gets hot and heavy the last thing Trump needs is Never Trumpers in his administration trying to hurt him with leaks to the media. He’d be dumb to assume that’s not going to happen and this looks like a preemptive strike.