President Trump said Sunday he’s considering making a change to as many as five Cabinet positions amid speculation that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and White House chief of staff John Kelly could depart imminently.
“I have three or four or five positions that I’m thinking about. Of that, maybe it’s going to end up being two. But I need flexibility,” Trump said of Nielsen in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.”
The president indicated he was disappointed with Nielsen’s handling of the southern border, which has been a source of tension for the two.
{mosads}”I like her very much, I respect her very much, I’d like her to be much together on the border. Much tougher. Period,” Trump said.
The president downplayed multiple reports of a rift between him and Kelly, but suggested that it’s no longer a guarantee that the chief of staff will remain with the White House through the 2020 election.
“We get along well,” Trump said of Kelly. “There are certain things I love what he does, and there are certain things I don’t like that he does that aren’t his strength.”
“I haven’t even thought about John in terms of this,” he added. “But John at some point is going to want to move on.”
The president has repeatedly said he intends to make changes to his Cabinet following the midterm elections, though he has not provided details.
Trump fired former Attorney General Jeff Sessions the day after the midterms, and The Washington Post reported last week that Nielsen’s departure is expected in the coming weeks.