Donald Trump has fired Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff and replaced him with Homeland Security secretary John Kelly, the president announced on Twitter on Friday.

The president tweeted: “I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a great American … and a great leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my administration.”

The dismissal of Priebus came as little surprise after he was the subject of a furious, foul-mouthed attack by new communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who claimed he would be asked to resign imminently. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday he was appointing Homeland Security head John Kelly to be White House chief of staff, ending the tumultuous six-month tenure of Reince Priebus.

After months of speculation about Priebus’ fate, Trump tweeted the decision just as he landed in Washington after an event in New York in which he lavishly praised Kelly’s performance at Homeland Security.

Priebus, the former Republican National Committee head, was the frequent target of rumours about his job security, the victim of a long whisper campaign by Trump allies and the subject of a remarkable public rebuke this week by the new White House communications director.

Trump’s announcement on Twitter: “I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American ... and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.”

He also saluted Priebus, the chief of staff he had just pushed out.

“I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!”

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, Trump said: “Reince is a good man. John Kelly will do a fantastic job.”

Priebus never could bring a semblance of order to the team of in-fighting rivals that populate Trump’s West Wing, and questions about his future have long swirled around the office. Those questions sharply escalated this week with the arrival of Anthony Scaramucci, the hard-charging communications director who was hired over Priebus’ objections.

Priebus’ already tense relationship with Scaramucci took a darker turn over the past two days when the communications chief suggested in a late-night tweet that Priebus was one of the “leakers” that Trump has railed against. The New Yorker published an interview Thursday in which Scaramucci called Priebus, amid an avalanche of vulgarity, a “paranoid schizophrenic”

Both Scaramucci and Priebus travelled to New York’s Long Island with Trump on Friday for an event where the president highlighted efforts to crack down on the gang MS-13. Priebus took the return flight to Washington, his fate sealed in the tweets that were sent by the president just as he stepped off the plane. Priebus did not respond to reporters’ shouted questions.

From day one, Priebus’ power has been limited compared with past officials with his title. In a highly unusual arrangement, Trump said at the outset that Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon would serve as “equal partners” in implementing his agenda.

Priebus, who hails from Wisconsin and has deep ties House Speaker Paul Ryan, had grown increasingly isolated in the White House, as past Republican National Committee colleagues and other allies have left or been pushed out of the West Wing. Those who have departed include former deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh, outgoing press secretary Sean Spicer and press aide Michael Short.

Scaramucci was the latest top aide to be granted a direct line to Trump, and it became increasingly unclear who actually reported to Priebus. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has selected John Kelly as his new White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus.

“I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American….” Trump tweeted.

This story is breaking and will be updated. </s> WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has selected Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus.

“I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American… and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration,” Trump tweeted.

The move was announced just after Air Force One landed at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington Friday.

“Reince is a good man. John Kelly will do a fantastic job,” Trump told reporters. “General Kelly has been a star, done an incredible job thus far, respected by everybody. He’s a great great American. Reince is a good man.”

The move followed months of on-again, off-again speculation that Priebus would soon be ousted from an administration where he has consistently drawn heavy criticism for failing to stem the flow of leaks and struggled to impose a sense of order in a chaotic White House beset by controversies.

Priebus, who was brought on by the outsider President in large part because of his Washington relationships, also wound up carrying a hefty share of the blame for the White House’s legislative stumbles.

The former Republican National Committee chairman faced a difficult task from the outset as he attempted to wrangle a hodgepodge of rival staff factions divided by ideology and allegiance, his influence supplanted by several other top advisers — including the President’s own kin — who reported directly to Trump and not to the chief of staff.

Priebus’ appointment was announced alongside Steve Bannon’s, the former Breitbart editor in chief who was appointed chief strategist. The President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was named senior adviser and soon thereafter his wife — the President’s eldest daughter — Ivanka Trump was as well.

But it was the appointment of Anthony Scaramucci to communications director last Friday that set off Priebus’ final unraveling. Within days of his appointment, Scaramucci, who was added to the roster of top aides who circumvent the chief of staff and report directly to the President, took to the airwaves and suggested Priebus was responsible for leaks coming out of the White House. He leveled those charges on CNN moments after speaking with Trump.

Priebus had worked against Scaramucci joining the administration when the New York hedge fund manager was first considered for an administration post and while the two attempted to put on a show of unity in Scaramucci’s first days at the White House, it quickly became clear the two men would continue to be at odds with each other.

Priebus, a Wisconsin native, joined the administration as chief of staff after a nearly six-year tenure as chairman of the RNC, the final months of which he spent in a dual role as a top adviser to Trump’s campaign.

Priebus was tapped for the post at the urging of top congressional Republicans — including House Speaker Paul Ryan, a fellow Wisconsinite — who advised Trump that he needed a Washington insider to help him shepherd his legislative agenda. That left Priebus with the blame for many of the administration’s legislative stumbles, including during the arduous attempts at passing a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare — which Priebus had advised Trump to make his first legislative priority, promising him swift victory.

The pick was unexpected for many in the Trump campaign who saw Priebus as the embodiment of the Washington Republican establishment Trump had defeated in the primaries, and Trump and Priebus did not always see eye-to eye.

Still, Priebus helped Trump bridge the divide with many establishment Republicans during the general election and into Trump’s tenure as president, serving as a key bridge between the outsider President and the insider politics he found himself at the center of.

Priebus was just the latest former RNC official to leave the administration, following the departure of White House press secretary Sean Spicer — who resigned in protest over Scaramucci’s hire — and the ouster of deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh, a key Priebus ally who exited the administration after just two months on the job. </s> President Donald Trump has removed Wisconsin native Reince Priebus as his White House Chief of Staff, replacing him with retired U.S. Marine Corps General John Kelly, who had been serving as the Secretary of Homeland Security.

President Donald Trump has removed Wisconsin native Reince Priebus as his White House Chief of Staff, replacing him with retired U.S. Marine Corps General John Kelly, who had been serving as the Secretary of Homeland Security.

MADISON (WKOW) --- The political world in Wisconsin and the rest of the country is coming to grips with a shocking move out of Washington Friday -- the removal of Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff.

The news came via twitter, when President Donald Trump announced that he named Homeland Security Secretary General John Kelly as his new chief of staff.

"I think the president wanted to go a different direction. I support him in that. Like I said a couple weeks ago, I said the president has a right to change directions. A president has a right to hit a reset button. I think it is a good time to hit the reset button. I think he was right to hit the reset button, and I think it was something that I think the White House needs. I think it's healthy. And I support him in it," Priebus said.

The move comes after a tumultuous couple of days, that saw incoming communications director Anthony Scaramucci publicly blast Priebus over "leaked" information.

The long-time Kenosha resident said he resigned Thursday and that the president included him in choosing a successor.

"I'm doing great. I just had a good conversation with General Kelly and the president, and I think you may know I've been, obviously, talking to the president for a few days about this. And formally, I ultimately resigned yesterday. And, you know, the president was great. He wanted to include me in figuring out how and who would be a great successor and a chief of staff," Priebus said.

Trump had this to say about his former chief-of-staff during a stop in New York Friday.

"Reince is a good man. John Kelly will do a fantastic job. General Kelly has been a star, done an incredible job thus far, respected by everybody. He's a great, great American. Reince Priebus is a good man. Thank you very much."

House Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted his thanks to Priebus, as well as his support for General Kelly.

“Reince Priebus has left it all out on the field, for our party and our country. Here is a guy from Kenosha, Wisconsin who revitalized the Republican National Committee and became White House chief of staff. He has served the president and the American people capably and passionately. He has achieved so much, and he has done it all with class. I could not be more proud to call Reince a dear friend,” Ryan said in a statement.

"I congratulate Secretary Kelly on his appointment, and look forward to working with him to advance our agenda."

"Reince Priebus is a good friend. I thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck going forward. Secretary Kelly is an outstanding leader who has served his country honorably and I know he will do an excellent job at the White House."

Priebus said he thinks Kelly is a good choice for the job.

During an interview, Priebus said he was not the White House leaker and refused to address earlier remarks made by Scaramucci.

Priebus was named chief of staff in November shortly after Trump won the election. He said he'll be working on a transition for a couple of weeks with General Kelly, starting on Monday. </s> President Donald Trump has named retired Gen. John Kelly as the new White House chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus in the role.

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"I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration," Trump said in a series of tweets Friday afternoon.

I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017

...and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017

In a statement later on Friday, Priebus said it "has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve this President and our country."

"I want to thank the President for giving me this very special opportunity," the statement continued. "I will continue to serve as a strong supporter of the President's agenda and policies. I can't think of a better person than General John Kelly to succeed me and I wish him God's blessings and great success."

Senior White House officials with direct knowledge of the changes happening in the West Wing said the president told Priebus two weeks ago he wanted to make a change.

Priebus spoke to CNN about two hours after the announcement was made, and he repeatedly said that he resigned but noted that the president wanted to go in a different direction.

“It was something I think the White House needs. I think it’s healthy, and I support him in it,” Priebus said of the shift.

Appearing on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Friday night, Priebus said he spoke with Trump about who would be his successor.

“We had a good talk yesterday. I resigned, he accepted it,” he said. “And we started working together and talking quite a few times about who would be a great pick to come in here and be the chief of staff, and I can't think of anyone better than a four-star general, John Kelly.”

Priebus added that he feels “hitting a reset button” is “a good thing.” He declined to comment on any controversy surrounding incoming White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci.

“It's just getting in the mud, and I think the palace intrigue stuff is annoying, and I think it's a distraction and it takes away from the president's agenda,” he said.

Kelly has already been working in the Trump administration, serving as the secretary of homeland security.

He released a statement thanking "the tremendous men and women of DHS."

"When I left the Marines, I never thought I would find as committed, as professional, as patriotic a group of individuals. I was wrong. You accomplish great things everyday defending our nation and I know your exceptional work will continue," Kelly said.

Susan Walsh/AP

Kelly added that he is "honored to be asked to serve" as the president's chief of staff.

Kelly will start as chief of staff on Monday morning and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that a Cabinet meeting will follow his swearing-in.

Trump praised Kelly just this afternoon at an event with law enforcement officials on Long Island in New York.

Trump said Kelly "has done an incredible job of secretary of homeland security. Incredible. One of our real stars. Truly one of our stars. John Kelly is one of our great stars."

Trump thanked him for "his service" in a tweet.

I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017

After walking off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump briefly spoke to reporters.

"Reince is a good man. John Kelly will do a fantastic job. General Kelly has been a star. Done an incredible job thus far. Respected by everybody. A great, great American. Respected by everybody. Reince Priebus [is] a good man," Trump said.

Trump has felt his team needed a chief of staff who could help push his agenda forward and get the West Wing in shape. After that conversation, the president began weighing his options and ultimately decided on his first choice – Kelly – the officials told ABC News.

The president’s plan was to make this change around the congressional recess with the goal of having a vacation period to get things in shape heading into the fall, the officials said, noting that the fact that new communications director Anthony Scaramucci has joined the team is not connected to Priebus leaving.

As one source put it, “This was a long time coming, period.”

In spite of the officials' comments, the personnel shift comes amid growing acrimony inside the White House, which was made public most clearly when Scaramucci called a reporter for The New Yorker and gave a series of expletive-ridden criticisms of Priebus, among others.

"Reince Priebus — if you want to leak something — he’ll be asked to resign very shortly," Scaramucci told reporter Ryan Lizza, according to The New Yorker article.

"Reince is a f------ paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac," Scaramucci said, the article states.

The day before The New Yorker article was published, Scaramucci posted a tweet, which he later deleted, where he tagged Priebus and wrote that he would be contacting the FBI and Department of Justice to investigate leaking.

Priebus was one of the members of Trump's senior staff who had the most experience working in Washington politics, having previously served as the Republican National Committee chairman before joining the Trump team during the transition.

He had ties to key members of the Republican Party, like House Speaker and fellow Wisconsinite Paul Ryan, but his support base within the White House is believed to have eroded in recent weeks. Katie Walsh, who served as Priebus' deputy chief of staff at the White House, left in March, and on July 21, press secretary Sean Spicer resigned. Both Walsh and Spicer worked with Priebus at the RNC. </s> Another one bites the dust! Donald Trump is making even more changes to his administration.

The Commander in Chief, 71, has ousted Chief of Staff Reince Priebus from his team on Friday, July 28, replacing the former GOP Chairman with the sitting Homeland Security Secretary, John Kelly.

Trump took to Twitter to announce his decision. “I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff,” he wrote. “He is a Great American and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.”

The president concluded his remarks by wishing Priebus well: “I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I proud of him!” He did not provide a reason for firing Priebus.

Reince Priebus told CNN that he resigned on Thursday, July 27, after a productive conversation with Trump. "This is about the president. This is about moving his agenda forward. I think he's made a smart decision with General Kelly, and I think he's going to do a great job and I'm looking forward to the future."

Priebus also added that there is no "ill will" over his resignation. "I'm always going to be a Trump fan. I'm on team Trump, and I look forward to helping him achieve his goals and his agenda for the American people," he said.

The news comes one week after Anthony Scaramucci was brought on as Communications Director. According to reports, Priebus opposed the appointment, as did Sean Spicer, who then resigned as press secretary in what many deemed to be an act of protest. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has since been appointed as Spicer's successor.

Scaramucci made headlines earlier this week for questioning whether Priebus was behind several recent White House leaks. “Reince Priebus — if you want to leak something — he’ll be asked to leave very shortly,” the latest addition to Trump’s administration said in an explosive phone conversation with a New Yorker reporter.

In May, Trump also fired James Comey as FBI director.

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For the latest celebrity entertainment, news and lifestyle videos, subscribe to Us Weekly's YouTube Page! </s> Hours after being sworn in as the White House Chief of Staff, retired Gen. John Kelly fired Anthony Scaramucci, the brand new White House communications director, according to two sources with knowledge of the decision.

Only a few weeks ago, few people had heard of Scaramucci, but last week, he became a household name, largely thanks to his profanity-laden interview with the New Yorker. There was more scandal for Scaramucci over the weekend as news of his recent divorce broke in the New York Post.

On Friday, President Donald Trump, announced his decision to replace Reince Priebus, his first chief of staff, with Kelly, who’d been serving as secretary of the Department of Homeland Defense. A former Marine four-star, Kelly was expected to bring order to what’s widely viewed as a chaotic and unruly White House, where infighting runs rampant and often plays out in the press.

Kelly’s decision to get rid of Scaramucci appears to reflect his distaste for inflammatory rhetoric, or what he’s called “cesspool of domestic politics.”

In his brief tenure, Scaramucci created headlines by threatening to fire the entire White communications team, and calling New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza and accusing outgoing White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus of leaking information. “Reince is a fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” Scaramucci told Lizza.

“Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “We wish him all the best.” </s> President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that his chief of staff John Kelly would be leaving the position by the end of the year.

Trump made the announcement on the White House South Lawn before departing for the Navy vs. Army football game.

"John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. We will announce who will be taking John's place," Trump said, adding that there might be an interim chief of staff. "I appreciate his service very much."

Kelly's departure has been expected, according to sources within the White House.

His tenure has been marred by conflict since he took the position in the summer of last year. Reports have described disagreements between Kelly, the president and West Wing staff.

Recent clashes with first lady Melania Trump made his already tenuous position even more so, NBC News reported last month.

Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general, initially began his tenure in the Trump administration serving as the secretary of Homeland Security. He was tapped by Trump as chief of staff in July 2017 after his predecessor, Reince Priebus, was ousted following six months on the job.

During his time in the West Wing, speculation mounted that Kelly has been frustrated and exhausted by his role and Trump's temperament.

Among the leading candidates to replace him is Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers.

Outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement that Kelly was departing "what is often a thankless job" and called him a "force for order."

“John Kelly is a patriot. Service to America is part of his DNA, and our country is better for his duty at the White House," Ryan said.

Trump also announced on Saturday that he had picked Gen. Mark Milley as his nominee to succeed Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Mark Milley, he is a great gentleman, he’s a great patriot, he’s a great soldier," Trump said Saturday.

On Friday, Trump announced he plans to nominate William Barr for attorney general.

Milley and Barr both must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming the positions.

If confirmed by the Senate, it would be Barr's second stint as head of the Justice Department. He served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that chief of staff John Kelly will leave his job by year’s end amid an expected West Wing reshuffling reflecting a focus on the 2020 re-election campaign and the challenge of governing with Democrats reclaiming control of the House.

Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, is Trump’s top choice to replace Kelly, and the two have held discussions for months about the job, a White House official said. An announcement was expected in the coming days, the president told reporters as he left the White House for the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia.

Kelly had been credited with imposing order on a chaotic West Wing after his arrival in June 2017 from his post as homeland security secretary. But his iron first also alienated some longtime Trump allies, and he grew increasingly isolated, with an increasingly diminished role.

Known through the West Wing as “the chief” or “the general,” the retired Marine Corps four-star general was tapped by Trump via tweet in July 2017 from his perch atop the Homeland Security Department to try to normalize a White House riven by infighting and competing power bases.

“John Kelly will leaving — I don’t know if I can say retiring — but he’s a great guy,” Trump said. “John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. We’ll be announcing who will be taking John’s place — it might be on an interim basis. I’ll be announcing that over the next day or two, but John will be leaving at the end of the year. … I appreciate his service very much.”

Kelly had early successes, including ending an open-door Oval Office policy that that had been compared to New York’s Grand Central Station and instituting a more rigorous policy process to try to prevent staffers from going directly to Trump.

But those efforts also miffed the president and some of his most influential outside allies, who had grown accustomed to unimpeded access. Kelly’s handling of domestic violence accusations against the former White House staff secretary also caused consternation, especially among lower-level White House staffers, who believed Kelly had lied to them about when he found out about the allegations.

Lauding Kelly, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the country was “better for his duty at the White House.” He called Kelly “a force for order, clarity and good sense.”

Trump and Ayers were working out terms under which Ayers would fill the role and the time commitment he would make, the White House official said. Trump wants his next chief of staff to agree to hold the job through the 2020 election. Ayers, who has young triplets, had long planned to leave the administration at the end of the year, but he has agreed to serve in an interim basis through the spring of 2019.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters.

Word of Kelly’s impending departure comes a day after Trump named his picks for attorney general and ambassador to the United Nations, and two senior aides shifted from the White House to Trump’s campaign.

In any administration, the role of White House chief of staff is split between the responsibilities of supervising the White House and managing the man sitting in the Oval Office. Striking that balance in the turbulent times of Trump has bedeviled both Kelly and his predecessor, Reince Priebus.

White House aides say Trump has developed confidence in Ayers, in part by watching the effectiveness of Pence’s largely independent political operation. Ayers also earned the backing of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the president’s daughter and son-in-law and senior advisers, for taking on the new role, White House officials said.

The Georgia native’s meteoric rise in GOP politics included a successful stint at the Republican Governors Association, time as campaign manager for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s failed White House bid and consultant work for dozens of high-profile Republicans, including Pence.

Ayers, 36, would be the youngest chief of staff since 34-year-old Hamilton Jordan served under Jimmy Carter. Kelly is 68.

Trump had discussed replacing Kelly on multiple occasions, including following the negative publicity surrounding Kelly’s handling of domestic violence accusations against then-White House staff secretary Rob Porter. Some lower-level White House staffers believed Kelly had lied to them about when he knew of the allegations and when he made clear to Porter that he’d have to leave.

Trump had often tossed around potential replacements, but sensitive to charges that his administration has been marked by record turnover, he said in July that he would keep Kelly in the job through 2020.

But inside the White House, it was viewed largely as an attempt to clamp down on speculation about Kelly’s fate during the midterm elections, rather than a true vote of confidence.

Kelly, too, made no secret of the trials of his job, and often joked about how working for Trump was harder than anything he’d done before, including on the battlefield. In private, Kelly, whom friends said took the job out of a sense of duty to his country, cast himself as safeguarding the public from an impulsive and mercurial president. Reports of those conversations infuriated the president, who is especially sensitive of attacks on his competence and perceptions he is being managed.

At an event celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kelly joked that he missed everyone in the department “every day,” offering a deadpan eye roll and smile that drew laughs and applause.

“At six months, the last thing I wanted to do was walk away from one of the great honors of my life, being the secretary of Homeland Security, but I did something wrong and God punished me, I guess,” he joked.

Kelly, who had threatened to quit on several occasions, told friends he would be happy if he lasted until his one-year anniversary: July 28.

Associated Press writers Michele Salcedo and Catherine Lucey contributed to this report.

Follow Miller on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller and Colvin at https://twitter.com/colvinj
U.S. President Donald Trump announces Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly will be White House Chief of Staff, replacing Reince Priebus.