Shutdown threat tanks West Wing morale

The chaos of the last two weeks comes just as some White House staffers are deciding whether to stay in the administration or leave the drama behind.

By ANDREW RESTUCCIA 01/18/2018 10:04 PM EST Updated 01/18/2018 10:37 PM EST

The first year of Donald Trump’s presidency is coming to a close with administration officials exhausted and uncertain after two extraordinary weeks of chaos, even by the standards of this White House.

The drama underlines a fundamental truth about Trump’s presidency: The faces may change, but it seems the storyline never does. Nearly six months after retired Marine Gen. John Kelly took over from former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus as chief of staff, the president is as undisciplined as ever. That’s sent morale in the West Wing plunging to new depths, according to more than half a dozen current and former White House officials and outside advisers.

The current upheaval comes as senior administration officials are weighing whether to leave their jobs or stay in the government.

“You’ve got people who have taken big pay cuts who aren’t millionaires and will at some point run out of money,” said one White House official. “And you’ve got people who are just emotionally taxed and they’ve done everything they think they can achieve.”

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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/18/trump-shutdown-white-house-morale-347920