Ayers may not have ‘gravitas’ to be Trump's new chief of staff, Latest World News - The New Paper
World

Ayers may not have ‘gravitas’ to be Trump's new chief of staff

This article is more than 12 months old

WASHINGTON Mr Nick Ayers, in talks with US President Donald Trump to become his new White House chief of staff, is a 36-year-old political expert who could help with the looming re-election campaign, but critics wonder whether he has the grit needed to keep Mr Trump and an often chaotic administration under control.

Mr Ayers has advised a series of high-profile Republican governors and has been Vice-President Mike Pence's chief of staff.

He has spent his entire career in Republican politics and earned a fortune selling advertisements to political campaigns.

Still, Mr Ayers has little experience wheeling and dealing on legislation in Congress and would take the reins at a time when Mr Trump is weakened after Democrats won control of the House of Representatives at midterms last month.

Mr Trump now faces House probes into his businesses and controversial policies, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating possible collusion between Mr Trump's election campaign team and Russian officials in 2016.

Mr Chris Whipple, who wrote a book on White House chiefs of staff called The Gatekeepers, said he is sceptical Mr Ayers has enough clout to be effective.

"I think Donald Trump desperately needs in that job someone who can walk into the Oval Office, close the door, and tell him what he does not want to hear," Mr Whipple said. "I'm not sure he (Ayers) has the gravitas to do that."

Mr Leon Panetta, who was chief of staff for former President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1997, and later became CIA director and secretary of defence in the Obama administration, said even the best counsel will matter little unless Mr Trump trusts his new chief of staff and will listen to frank advice.

"You're not going to be a good chief of staff if you can't speak truth to power... I don't get the impression that this president particularly likes people speaking truth to him."

Mr Trump said on Saturday his next chief might be in place only on "an interim basis" and he would announce his pick in coming days.

A White House official said Mr Trump had wanted a two-year commitment from Mr Ayers, who was unsure that he could stay that long.

- REUTERS

WORLD