White House Shake Up: Communications Director Mike Dubke Resigns

In the wave of rumored changes to the Trump White House, the first adjustment may be to find a new communications director.

Mike Dubke, after three months on the job, will be stepping down

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According to Axios, Dubke submitted his resignation on May 18, but offered to stick it out while Trump was on his first overseas trip, as president.

As of today, he’s still on the job and no final day has been set.

Other changes rumored to be on the horizon include bringing in a senior adviser from the campaign, David Urban, to be the new chief of staff.

  • Friends say Urban, 53, who’s credited with helping Trump win his crucial upset in Pennsylvania, brings seasoned political judgment and no personal agenda. He’s a West Point graduate, has a master’s in government administration from Penn, and a law degree from Temple. Urban was on Trump’s plane and in his green rooms during frequent campaign stops in the Keystone State, and the two became cellphone buddies.
  • Trump met yesterday with two top officials from his campaign, Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, about joining the crisis-communications war room he’s setting up, perhaps as part of an outside-inside duet.

The rumor for some of the changes seems to be that Trump wants to harden his message and return to the combative style of the campaign, as promoted by Lewandowski.

Yes, during this time of turmoil and ever-broadening scandal, becoming less professional and more like a 5-year old child with uncontrollable behavioral issues is exactly what Trump needs.

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Other rumored changes include:

  • Sean Spicer will stay as press secretary, but will do fewer on-camera briefings (although he’s on-camera today at 2 p.m.)
  • More briefings will be on-record but off-camera.
  • Trump is likely to travel more — at least once a week, some top officials hope.
  • Trump may take a few questions from the press when he’s on the road, and will take more questions when he’s appearing at photo ops with foreign leaders.
  • An official explained why Trump will do more of the talking for the White House: “He says things exactly the way he wants them to be said.”
  • Translation: When he says it, he can’t second-guess his staff.

This is strategy for Trump. It has become clear in his very short time in office that the job is not the same as being a clown for reality TV. It requires an actual grasp of government and political savvy, beyond just paying off politicians to “grease the wheels.”

So far, he’s had more losses than wins. It may not take long to determine if this shake-up is for the better or to his detriment.

 

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