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Republicans Look to Reince Priebus, Trump’s Chief of Staff, to Bring Stability Republicans Look to Reince Priebus, Trump’s Chief of Staff, to Bring Stability
(about 13 hours later)
WASHINGTON — When Speaker Paul D. Ryan needed to stop rebellious fellow Republicans from defanging a popular congressional ethics watchdog office this month, he called a friend from Wisconsin, Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, for some stealthy help.WASHINGTON — When Speaker Paul D. Ryan needed to stop rebellious fellow Republicans from defanging a popular congressional ethics watchdog office this month, he called a friend from Wisconsin, Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, for some stealthy help.
Mr. Ryan asked Mr. Priebus, the congenial and cunning chairman of the Republican National Committee, for a favor: Could President-elect Donald J. Trump intervene?Mr. Ryan asked Mr. Priebus, the congenial and cunning chairman of the Republican National Committee, for a favor: Could President-elect Donald J. Trump intervene?
At the urging of Mr. Priebus, Mr. Trump quickly posted a pair of scolding posts on Twitter: Did Congress really have to make the gutting of the popular Office of Congressional Ethics “their number one act and priority?” he asked, quickly bringing the insurrection to a messy but welcome end for Mr. Ryan.At the urging of Mr. Priebus, Mr. Trump quickly posted a pair of scolding posts on Twitter: Did Congress really have to make the gutting of the popular Office of Congressional Ethics “their number one act and priority?” he asked, quickly bringing the insurrection to a messy but welcome end for Mr. Ryan.
This is the way that many mainstream Beltway Republicans, and more than a few tremulous Democrats, pray the Trump White House will work. In a city bracing for convulsive change, Mr. Priebus has emerged as an unlikely symbol of stability, someone who they hope will domesticate the new president and transform his storm-the-gates campaign into a normal, functional White House that can “make America sane again,” in a phrase making the rounds this week among congressional Republicans.This is the way that many mainstream Beltway Republicans, and more than a few tremulous Democrats, pray the Trump White House will work. In a city bracing for convulsive change, Mr. Priebus has emerged as an unlikely symbol of stability, someone who they hope will domesticate the new president and transform his storm-the-gates campaign into a normal, functional White House that can “make America sane again,” in a phrase making the rounds this week among congressional Republicans.
That is a lot of responsibility to put on the shoulders of an unflappable political survivor from Kenosha, Wis., who has never held a major government post before. He has instead accrued his power by courting wealthy donors on behalf of Republican candidates, tending to the gripes of the R.N.C.’s 168 committee members, closely monitoring his own Wikipedia page and by mostly staying on the good side of the capricious Mr. Trump, his ambivalent patron. That is a lot of responsibility to put on the shoulders of an unflappable political survivor from Kenosha, Wis., who has never held a major government post before. He has instead accrued his power by courting wealthy donors on behalf of Republican candidates, tending to the gripes of the R.N.C.’s 168 committee members, closely monitoring his own Wikipedia page and mostly staying on the good side of the capricious Mr. Trump, his ambivalent patron.
Not everyone thinks he is up to it.Not everyone thinks he is up to it.
“He’s going to stand up to Donald Trump? He’s going to be the grown-up in the room? Come on,” said John Weaver, the chief strategist on the unsuccessful primary campaign by Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio against Mr. Trump. “This is the guy who oversaw the party’s 2012 post-mortem that called for comprehensive immigration reform. And now he’s the guy who is going to run the White House for Trump. That’s all you need to know about Reince. He’s going to do what Trump wants him to do.”“He’s going to stand up to Donald Trump? He’s going to be the grown-up in the room? Come on,” said John Weaver, the chief strategist on the unsuccessful primary campaign by Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio against Mr. Trump. “This is the guy who oversaw the party’s 2012 post-mortem that called for comprehensive immigration reform. And now he’s the guy who is going to run the White House for Trump. That’s all you need to know about Reince. He’s going to do what Trump wants him to do.”
But Haley Barbour, the former Mississippi governor and former chairman of the R.N.C., said Mr. Priebus was the only kind of chief of staff, flexible and opportunistic, who could succeed in a Washington roiled by Mr. Trump and rived by partisan conflict.But Haley Barbour, the former Mississippi governor and former chairman of the R.N.C., said Mr. Priebus was the only kind of chief of staff, flexible and opportunistic, who could succeed in a Washington roiled by Mr. Trump and rived by partisan conflict.
“There is no honeymoon, there’s not going to be any honeymoon, and the left has decided they’re going to oppose anything Trump does,” Mr. Barbour said.“There is no honeymoon, there’s not going to be any honeymoon, and the left has decided they’re going to oppose anything Trump does,” Mr. Barbour said.
“Reince has got to try to help the new president be successful when the new president is really not a lot like previous presidents of either party.”“Reince has got to try to help the new president be successful when the new president is really not a lot like previous presidents of either party.”
Mr. Priebus enters a West Wing loaded with palace intrigue and potential conflict. Mr. Trump, who favors a management style that pits top aides against one another so no subordinate gains too much authority, has divided power among no fewer than five top advisers: Mr. Priebus; Stephen K. Bannon, his chief strategist, and Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s counselor, both of whom were briefly mentioned for the chief’s job; Vice President-elect Mike Pence; and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who occupies a first-among-equals status.Mr. Priebus enters a West Wing loaded with palace intrigue and potential conflict. Mr. Trump, who favors a management style that pits top aides against one another so no subordinate gains too much authority, has divided power among no fewer than five top advisers: Mr. Priebus; Stephen K. Bannon, his chief strategist, and Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s counselor, both of whom were briefly mentioned for the chief’s job; Vice President-elect Mike Pence; and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who occupies a first-among-equals status.
Towering above them all is Mr. Trump, who enters office weighed down by controversy over his relationship with Russia, the lowest approval rating of any incoming president in modern history and a propensity for picking spur-of-the-moment fights that Mr. Priebus and the communications operation he oversees will have to clean up.Towering above them all is Mr. Trump, who enters office weighed down by controversy over his relationship with Russia, the lowest approval rating of any incoming president in modern history and a propensity for picking spur-of-the-moment fights that Mr. Priebus and the communications operation he oversees will have to clean up.
All of this adds up to one of the most daunting and uncertain situations any recent chief of staff has faced.All of this adds up to one of the most daunting and uncertain situations any recent chief of staff has faced.
“Reince has quite the challenge ahead of him,” said Roger Stone, a longtime Trump political adviser and frequent Priebus critic.“Reince has quite the challenge ahead of him,” said Roger Stone, a longtime Trump political adviser and frequent Priebus critic.
The role of a chief of staff varies widely, depending on each president’s personality, management style and circumstance. President Obama cycled through four in eight years, starting with Rahm Emanuel, a volatile former Democratic congressman who hammered through his legislative program and is now mayor of Chicago.The role of a chief of staff varies widely, depending on each president’s personality, management style and circumstance. President Obama cycled through four in eight years, starting with Rahm Emanuel, a volatile former Democratic congressman who hammered through his legislative program and is now mayor of Chicago.
“Ultimately, it’s a chief’s job to create an orderly process that gives a president the full range of opposing viewpoints so that he can make a decision based on the best information available,” said Joshua B. Bolten, who served as George W. Bush’s chief of staff.“Ultimately, it’s a chief’s job to create an orderly process that gives a president the full range of opposing viewpoints so that he can make a decision based on the best information available,” said Joshua B. Bolten, who served as George W. Bush’s chief of staff.
But even Mr. Bolten conceded that nothing mattered if Mr. Priebus could not “develop a good working relationship” with his president. And Mr. Trump, who burned through three campaign managers in less than a year and routinely mocks his aides to their faces, is a hard boss to please, demanding not merely loyalty but, at times, subservience.But even Mr. Bolten conceded that nothing mattered if Mr. Priebus could not “develop a good working relationship” with his president. And Mr. Trump, who burned through three campaign managers in less than a year and routinely mocks his aides to their faces, is a hard boss to please, demanding not merely loyalty but, at times, subservience.
The two men got off to a rocky start in 2015. As guardian of his party’s brand, Mr. Priebus called to deliver a stern 40-minute lecture after Mr. Trump railed against Mexican “rapists” at his kickoff rally in early 2015 and objected when Mr. Trump refused to honor a pledge to back the eventual Republican nominee a few months later.The two men got off to a rocky start in 2015. As guardian of his party’s brand, Mr. Priebus called to deliver a stern 40-minute lecture after Mr. Trump railed against Mexican “rapists” at his kickoff rally in early 2015 and objected when Mr. Trump refused to honor a pledge to back the eventual Republican nominee a few months later.
Mr. Trump later fired back, saying that Mr. Priebus “knows better than to lecture me,” adding, “We’re not dealing with a five-star Army general.”Mr. Trump later fired back, saying that Mr. Priebus “knows better than to lecture me,” adding, “We’re not dealing with a five-star Army general.”
Those encounters were a tutorial for Mr. Priebus, a student of power who believes that proximity to it is the most important step in acquiring it. These days, he is acutely sensitive to Mr. Trump’s moods and has modeled his West Wing role, people close to the R.N.C. chairman say, on the team of no-nonsense general managers who tend to Mr. Trump’s business and resort properties. “He likes people who get things done,” Mr. Priebus said about Mr. Trump recently. “I get things done.”Those encounters were a tutorial for Mr. Priebus, a student of power who believes that proximity to it is the most important step in acquiring it. These days, he is acutely sensitive to Mr. Trump’s moods and has modeled his West Wing role, people close to the R.N.C. chairman say, on the team of no-nonsense general managers who tend to Mr. Trump’s business and resort properties. “He likes people who get things done,” Mr. Priebus said about Mr. Trump recently. “I get things done.”
He has also been careful to avoid direct conflicts with other members of Mr. Trump’s Big Five leadership team, especially the ascendant Mr. Kushner, focusing instead on positioning himself as Mr. Trump’s indispensable organization man.He has also been careful to avoid direct conflicts with other members of Mr. Trump’s Big Five leadership team, especially the ascendant Mr. Kushner, focusing instead on positioning himself as Mr. Trump’s indispensable organization man.
Each morning, dressed in a crisp dark suit, he prepares for the president-elect a detailed daily agenda and demands reports from staff members on the progress of confirmation prep sessions and communications efforts, a level of rigor that has reassured Mr. Trump his team is ready for the West Wing.Each morning, dressed in a crisp dark suit, he prepares for the president-elect a detailed daily agenda and demands reports from staff members on the progress of confirmation prep sessions and communications efforts, a level of rigor that has reassured Mr. Trump his team is ready for the West Wing.
“Reince has done a terrific job,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “He is always working and will be a great asset to my team in the White House. I hope he will be with me for a long time to come.”“Reince has done a terrific job,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “He is always working and will be a great asset to my team in the White House. I hope he will be with me for a long time to come.”
Still, while Mr. Priebus assembled the political machinery that helped secure a Trump win, he has not fully cracked the circle of trust, and the president-elect is not always so glowing about the man he sometimes calls “Reincey.” He often jokes, in an affectionate but tart way, about the R.N.C. chairman’s long-term loyalty, and likes reminding the people around him that Mr. Priebus suggested that he consider dropping out after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape of Mr. Trump’s crude remarks about women were made public in October.Still, while Mr. Priebus assembled the political machinery that helped secure a Trump win, he has not fully cracked the circle of trust, and the president-elect is not always so glowing about the man he sometimes calls “Reincey.” He often jokes, in an affectionate but tart way, about the R.N.C. chairman’s long-term loyalty, and likes reminding the people around him that Mr. Priebus suggested that he consider dropping out after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape of Mr. Trump’s crude remarks about women were made public in October.
At a recent Trump Tower meeting with staff members, Mr. Trump praised his chief of staff as a hard worker — one of his highest accolades — before recalling a sensitive bit of history.At a recent Trump Tower meeting with staff members, Mr. Trump praised his chief of staff as a hard worker — one of his highest accolades — before recalling a sensitive bit of history.
“But you know, he wasn’t always there with me. He told me to drop out of the race, he told me I was going to bring the House and Senate down with me,” Mr. Trump said, as Mr. Priebus stood near him, absorbing the dig.“But you know, he wasn’t always there with me. He told me to drop out of the race, he told me I was going to bring the House and Senate down with me,” Mr. Trump said, as Mr. Priebus stood near him, absorbing the dig.
With many former Bush administration aides still unwilling to work for a president they regard as unqualified, Mr. Priebus has staffed the new West Wing with an assortment of Republican veterans and some of his core staff at the R.N.C., including his former deputy, Katie Walsh.With many former Bush administration aides still unwilling to work for a president they regard as unqualified, Mr. Priebus has staffed the new West Wing with an assortment of Republican veterans and some of his core staff at the R.N.C., including his former deputy, Katie Walsh.
Mr. Priebus has had a spotty record on cabinet picks, pushing hard for the long-shot nomination of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York as secretary of state. But Mr. Priebus has had a relatively free hand to pick the operational staff that handles the day-to-day operations of every White House, while selling Mr. Trump on Sean Spicer, the pugnacious R.N.C. spokesman, for White house press secretary.Mr. Priebus has had a spotty record on cabinet picks, pushing hard for the long-shot nomination of former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York as secretary of state. But Mr. Priebus has had a relatively free hand to pick the operational staff that handles the day-to-day operations of every White House, while selling Mr. Trump on Sean Spicer, the pugnacious R.N.C. spokesman, for White house press secretary.
Like many who will have a place in Mr. Trump’s White House, Mr. Priebus openly discussed life after a Trump loss during the campaign, musing about the possibility of returning to Wisconsin and picking up his law practice, according to one Republican he spoke to at the time.Like many who will have a place in Mr. Trump’s White House, Mr. Priebus openly discussed life after a Trump loss during the campaign, musing about the possibility of returning to Wisconsin and picking up his law practice, according to one Republican he spoke to at the time.
Unlike many other establishment Republicans, Mr. Priebus exerted maximum effort on Mr. Trump’s behalf, even if he was uncertain of the outcome.Unlike many other establishment Republicans, Mr. Priebus exerted maximum effort on Mr. Trump’s behalf, even if he was uncertain of the outcome.
Mr. Priebus had tried to play an advisory role with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, to no avail, aggravating some aides in the campaign’s Boston headquarters. He ultimately found a more receptive partner in Mr. Trump.Mr. Priebus had tried to play an advisory role with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, to no avail, aggravating some aides in the campaign’s Boston headquarters. He ultimately found a more receptive partner in Mr. Trump.
Mr. Priebus was one of the few Republicans to take Mr. Trump seriously as a potential candidate in 2011, when the reality-TV star floated a potential campaign, and he continued to offer advice to Mr. Trump throughout the campaign.Mr. Priebus was one of the few Republicans to take Mr. Trump seriously as a potential candidate in 2011, when the reality-TV star floated a potential campaign, and he continued to offer advice to Mr. Trump throughout the campaign.
Eventually, the wary candidate came to trust the party chairman’s advice, and by last summer Mr. Priebus began telling people he wanted to be Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, on the off chance of a victory.Eventually, the wary candidate came to trust the party chairman’s advice, and by last summer Mr. Priebus began telling people he wanted to be Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, on the off chance of a victory.
And for all the pressures he faces, Mr. Priebus remains upbeat about his new job, if only because he never expected to have it.And for all the pressures he faces, Mr. Priebus remains upbeat about his new job, if only because he never expected to have it.