Trump White House firings, resignations, and ousters

If you feel like you can’t keep up with the Trump White House’s firings, resignations, and staffing changes, there’s a reason: The Trump administration has had more staff turnover than any other in decades. It saw an unprecedented 34 percent turnover rate in President Trump’s first year in office. That’s double Ronald Reagan’s rate during the same period, and more than three times Barack Obama’s.

The firing of FBI Director James Comey led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. A chaotic summer saw the exits of chief strategist Steve Bannon, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, press secretary Sean Spicer, and communications director Anthony Scaramucci after a brief but eventful 10-day stint. Since then, Trump has said goodbye to staff secretary Rob Porter, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and communications director Hope Hicks, one of his closest aides. Embattled EPA administrator Scott Pruitt also resigned amid fierce criticism over ethical scandals.

High staff turnover at the White House isn’t necessarily unusual, but this revolving door is. As Vox’s Ezra Klein reports, working in the Trump administration is “a frustrating, dispiriting, and often surreal experience, and it exposes staffers to both legal and reputational risks.” That’s created a serious management crisis.