The White House personnel continues its Benny Hill Show homage, with various players running in and out of the building at the most inopportune times. Three officials, including one-time national security adviser Michael Flynn, abandoned their posts over talk of a probe into Donald Trump’s Russian connection, talk that turned into a full-fledged investigation after the president booted FBI Director James Comey. But White House communications director Mike Dubke chose to delay his exit until after he made sure Trump didn’t start a war while on his first trip abroad as commander in chief (though that didn’t keep Melania Trump from rejecting her husband’s insincere PDA throughout).
According to Axios (via Politico), Dubke turned in his walking papers on May 18, but agreed to stay on through Trump’s trip to Riyadh, Jerusalem, and the Vatican, with a brief detour to Isengard. The former communications director sent an email to friends explaining his departure in vague terms while still endorsing the people he worked with: “The reasons for my departure are personal, but it has been my great honor to serve President Trump and this administration. It has also been my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments. This White House is filled with some of the finest and hardest working men and women in the American Government.”
Dubke lasted three months in the position, which sounds awfully short until you consider that he wasn’t nearly as in thrall to the president as other folks on staff. Politico notes the longtime Republican had even had to deny ever producing any anti-Trump ads during the 2016 presidential campaign. And the orange one was reportedly displeased with Dubke’s work anyway, complaining to insiders that he never seemed to get “positive press anymore.” Trump “immediately” accepted Dubke’s resignation, and is already eyeing someone from his campaign to step up. Apparently, in between having his hand crushed by the President of France, Trump’s been waxing nostalgic about David Bossie and ousted campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
As usual, Trump’s fickleness doesn’t bode well for anyone on staff—Politico reports an even bigger reshuffling is expected. For starters, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer is expected to step back into a reduced role, thereby allowing him more time to linger among the bushes.