Kelly, McMaster could soon resign over friction with Trump: Reuters

Two of President Trump’s top advisers could soon depart the White House, sources familiar with the situation have told Reuters.

Four senior administration officials told the outlet that tensions between the president and national security adviser H.R. McMaster and White House chief of staff John Kelly have risen in recent weeks to the point that either man could be near resigning.

The officials hedged their predictions, however, telling Reuters those tensions could blow over in the same way past feuds between Trump and his top aides have calmed. 

Asked about the possibility of either man departing the White House, deputy press secretary Raj Shah said, “The president has full confidence in each member of the team.”

The Reuters report comes after Trump broke with McMaster on Saturday over whether indictments in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation show “incontrovertible” evidence of Russia’s election meddling.

A report on Thursday also revealed that McMaster could soon return to the Pentagon. Defense and administration officials said a search is being conducted at the Pentagon for an appropriate military position for McMaster, allowing the three-star general to return to the Defense Department and earn his fourth star. {mosads}

Meanwhile, Trump’s frustration with his chief of staff has reportedly grown in recent weeks — specifically over the handling of the resignation of White House staff secretary Rob Porter.

Porter resigned earlier this month after reports emerged that his two ex-wives accused him of domestic abuse.

Kelly initially defended Porter. The chief of staff has not explained why he did not cut ties with Porter after the FBI notified the White House about the allegations that turned up during his background check.

The controversy took over the administration for much of February, with a number of Trump’s allies calling for Kelly to resign over his handling of the situation. But White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said last week at a press briefing that Trump “has confidence in his chief of staff.”

McMaster and Kelly would be the latest top Trump officials to depart the White House, which has been plagued by rapid turnover.