Following a report that vice presidential aide Nick Ayers has declined to replace current White House chief of staff John Kelly, a list of other candidates being considered for the position has emerged.
Bloomberg News reports that President Donald Trump has named Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, as a potential replacement for the job.
Meadows is joined by Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, budget director Mick Mulvaney and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as possible replacements for Kelly.
Bloomberg News adds that while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been reported as in the running by other media outlets, Bloomberg's sources indicated otherwise.
Trump is reportedly set to decide on a replacement by the end of the year, which corresponds to Kelly's scheduled departure.
Initially, Kelly was going to announce his leave to White House staff on Monday, but Trump beat the chief of staff to the punch when he announced the news during a press briefing on the White House lawn Saturday before leaving Washington D.C. to attend the annual Army/Navy football game, Axois reports.
Ayers was reportedly the top guy for the job, but was unwilling to give a two-year commitment to the Trump administration. Instead of taking the post, Ayers, who currently works as chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, will be leaving to oversee Trump's 2020 presidential campaign, duties that could possibly include running a Trump-aligned Super-PAC, Bloomberg reports.
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