Is Mark Meadows on Trump’s Short List for Chief of Staff?

WASHINGTON, D.C. – There is another shakeup going on at the White House as the president’s chief of staff John Kelly recently announced his plans to resign. That news led to a lot of speculation about who would replace Kelly as the gatekeeper to the Oval Office. Vice President Pence’s chief of staff Nick Ayers was first rumored to be locked in, but the list has expanded since, and Ayers is reportedly not the guy.

However, rumored to be on that list is North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC) – could he be the guy?

The Beltway buzz this hour is @RepMarkMeadows is now the leading candidate to succeed Kelly as chief of staff.

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) December 9, 2018

It was recently reported that Meadows would not be taking a key post on the House Oversight Committee, as previously thought. Around the same time it Bloomberg News revealed documents it obtained that indicated Meadows was an architect of secret plans to combat the Democratic Majority’s anti-Trump tirade in the U.S. House.

Meadows has been close with the president since the latter’s election, often getting through to him when other Establishment figures cannot. That relationship could certainly be a benefit, as well as the insider knowledge of congressional dynamics, in a chief of staff role.

Still, it seems like a low probability outcome. Meadows political future is bright – he enjoys a solid approval rating, has amassed more and more influence on the Hill, and has been a champion of grassroots priorities as chairman of the Freedom Caucus.

It is nice to know, however, that conservatives from North Carolina are reaching such prominence on the national political stage.