Trump says ‘no chaos’ in WH, but more staff changes could be coming

President Trump on Tuesday claimed there is “no chaos” in the White House, even as he warned of future staff changes that have fueled the notion the West Wing is spiraling out of control.

“The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong!” Trump tweeted just before 8 a.m.

“People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!”

The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong! People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2018

The message came amid an early morning torrent of tweets from the president touching on topics ranging from oil production, immigration, North Korea, cable news and the Academy Awards.

“Lowest rated Oscars in HISTORY. Problem is, we don’t have Stars anymore — except your President (just kidding, of course)!” the president tweeted.

{mosads}

Oscars viewership fell to 26.5 million people, a nearly 20 percent drop from the 2017 show. Many of the actors and directors, as well as host Jimmy Kimmel, spoke out against Trump, something his supporters credit for the lower ratings. 

Trump was responding to media that have painted a picture of an enraged president who is sowing chaos among his staff and upending the policy process at the White House. 

That atmosphere helped lead to his announcement last week of steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which sent shockwaves throughout Washington and Wall Street.

The president ignored the advice of many of his own aides in making the decision and did not have any paperwork to sign because the tariffs had not yet been properly vetted.

NBC News, citing an unnamed source, said Trump had become “unglued” by the time he made the announcement.

Speculation has grown that National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, a vocal opponent of the tariffs, could leave the White House if Trump follows through on his decision. 

Several events had reportedly set off the president, including the departure of White House communications director Hope Hicks and a deluge of negative stories about his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

Kushner had his security clearance downgraded, limiting his access to the nation’s most closely held secrets, as he faced renewed scrutiny over whether he used his position to help secure loans for his family business. Kushner’s attorneys have denied he acted inappropriately.

The president is also reportedly angry over developments in the Russia investigation, which were highlighted Monday by a series of bizarre television interviews by former campaign aide Sam Nunberg.

Nunberg caused a headache for Trump and sent tremors across D.C. by claiming the president knew about a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower between a Russian lawyer and Donald Trump Jr. and publicly threatening to tear up a subpoena request from special counsel Robert Mueller, which he later recanted.

Just days before, Trump lashed out at Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime target of the president for his decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department’s probe into Russian election meddling. And several reports suggested that the president is also searching for a replacement for national security adviser H.R. McMaster.

Trump joked about the constant turnover at the White House on Saturday during the Gridiron Dinner, saying, “I like turnover, I like chaos, it really is good.” 

“Now the question everyone keeps asking is, ‘Who’s going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania,’” the president joked, referring to his senior policy adviser and the first lady, respectively.

“That is terrible honey, but you love me, right?” Trump told his wife. “I wont tell you what she said. … She said, ‘Behave.’ … Is that terrible?”

John Bowden contributed

Updated at 10:07 a.m.