Trump picks Mark Meadows as new White House chief of staff
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has selected outgoing Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., as his next White House chief of staff, tapping one of his most stalwart congressional allies to run the White House as he navigates a critical reelection year.
"I have long known and worked with Mark, and the relationship is a very good one," Trump tweeted shortly after arriving at his southern Florida resort, where he is spending the weekend.
Meadows replaces acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who is being appointed the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland, Trump said in a follow-up tweet. The president thanked Mulvaney for "having served the administration so well."
Mulvaney was tapped in an acting capacity as the top White House aide in December 2018 and officially stepped into the role in early January 2019 following the departure of John Kelly. Meadows will be Trump's fourth White House chief of staff, following Mulvaney, Kelly and Reince Priebus.
A four-term lawmaker, Meadows announced in December that he would not run for reelection and hinted in his farewell statement that he would join either the administration or Trump's 2020 campaign.