List of short-tenure Donald Trump political appointments

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This is a list of notably short political appointments by Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States.

The turnover rate in the first Trump administration has been noted by various publications.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Several Trump appointees, including Michael Flynn, Reince Priebus, Anthony Scaramucci, and Tom Price, have among the shortest service tenures in the history of their respective offices.[a]

This list excludes political appointees, White House staff and other officials of the federal government from previous administrations who left or were dismissed from their positions under Trump (such as James Comey or Sally Yates).

List

More information Portrait, Name ...
Portrait Name Office Took office Left office Tenure Preceded by Succeeded by Notes
Steve Bannon Senior Counselor to the President January 20, 2017 August 18, 2017 210 days (6 months, 29 days) John Podesta Kellyanne Conway
Dina Powell		 Previously executive chairman of Breitbart News, a position he briefly resumed following his resignation August 18.[9][10][11]
White House Chief Strategist position established vacant
Michael Dubke White House Communications Director March 6, 2017 June 2, 2017 88 days (2 months, 27 days) Sean Spicer (acting) Sean Spicer (acting) Previously a Republican political strategist. Submitted his resignation May 30, 2017.[12][13] His tenure was the fourth-shortest in the office's history, excluding interim appointments.
Brenda Fitzgerald Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention July 7, 2017 January 31, 2018 208 days (6 months, 24 days) Anne Schuchat (acting) Anne Schuchat (acting) Previously commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health.[14] Resigned due to scrutiny of her financial holdings, which included stock in Japan Tobacco.[15] Her tenure was the shortest in the office's history, excluding interim appointments.[16]
Michael Flynn National Security Advisor January 20, 2017 February 13, 2017 24 days Susan Rice H. R. McMaster Previously a three-star general and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Resigned after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the nature and content of his communications with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.[17][18] Later pled guilty to making false statements to the FBI. His tenure was the shortest in the office's history.[19][20]
Sebastian Gorka Deputy Assistant to the President January 20, 2017 August 25, 2017 217 days (7 months, 5 days) Previously a military and intelligence analyst. Failed to obtain the security clearance necessary for work on national security issues.[21][22] Resigned August 25, 2017.[22][23]
Derek Harvey Member of the National Security Council January 27, 2017 July 27, 2017 181 days (6 months) Previously a United States Army colonel and a senior member of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Fired July 27, 2017.[24]
K. T. McFarland Deputy National Security Advisor January 20, 2017 May 19, 2017 119 days (3 months, 29 days) Avril Haines Ricky L. Waddell Previously a member of the National Security Council in the 1970s and a Republican Senate candidate. Reported not to be a good fit at the NSC,[25][26] she resigned after less than four months. Trump nominated her to be Ambassador to Singapore, but her nomination stalled and was withdrawn.[27]
Dina Powell Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy March 15, 2017 January 12, 2018 303 days (9 months, 28 days) Position established Nadia Schadlow[28] Previously an Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel under George W. Bush.[29] Left the Trump administration in January 2018.[28]
Tom Price Secretary of Health and Human Services February 10, 2017 September 29, 2017 231 days (7 months, 19 days) Sylvia Mathews Burwell Alex Azar Previously U.S. Representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district. Resigned following scrutiny of his use of private charters and military aircraft for travel.[30][31][32] His tenure was the shortest in the office's history.[32]
Reince Priebus White House Chief of Staff January 20, 2017 July 31, 2017 192 days (6 months, 11 days) Denis McDonough John F. Kelly Previously chairman of the Republican National Committee. Submitted his resignation July 27, 2017. His tenure was the shortest in the office's history, excluding interim appointments.[33]
Scott Pruitt Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency February 17, 2017 July 6, 2018 504 days (1 year, 4 months, 19 days) Gina McCarthy Andrew R. Wheeler Previously Oklahoma Attorney General and a state senator. A self-described "leading advocate against the EPA's activist agenda,"[34] Pruitt rejects the scientific consensus that human-caused carbon dioxide emissions are a primary contributor to climate change.[35] His tenure was marked by controversy and at least a dozen[36] federal inquiries into his spending and management habits. Announced his resignation July 5.[37][38][39] His tenure was the second-shortest in the office's history, excluding interim appointments.[b]
David Shulkin Secretary of Veterans Affairs February 14, 2017 March 28, 2018 407 days (1 year, 1 month, 14 days) Bob McDonald Robert Wilkie (acting) Previously a physician and later Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health. Confirmed unanimously, but clashed with staffers and attracted scrutiny of his travel expenses. Fired March 28, 2018.[40] His tenure was the shortest in the office's history, excluding interim appointments.
George Sifakis Director of the Office of Public Liaison March 6, 2017 September 25, 2017 203 days (6 months, 19 days) Valerie Jarrett[c] Johnny DeStefano Left after less than seven months.[41]
Anthony Scaramucci White House Communications Director July 21, 2017 July 31, 2017 10 days Sean Spicer Hope Hicks Previously designated director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs but did not assume office due to pending United States Office of Government Ethics investigation.[42] Fired July 31, 2017.[43][44][45][46] His tenure was the shortest in the office's history, breaking the former record held by Jack Koehler.[47]
Sean Spicer White House Press Secretary January 20, 2017 July 21, 2017 182 days (6 months, 1 day) Josh Earnest Sarah Huckabee Sanders Previously acting White House Communications Director and a Republican Party strategist. Announced his resignation July 21, 2017, although he remained at the White House in an unspecified capacity until August 31.[48][49] His tenure was the sixth-shortest in the office's history.[d][50]
Rex Tillerson United States Secretary of State February 1, 2017 March 13, 2018[e] 405 days (1 year, 1 month, 12 days) John Kerry John Sullivan (acting) Previously CEO of ExxonMobil. Fired March 13, 2018.[53] His tenure was the fifteenth-shortest in the office's 228-year history, and the third-shortest since World War II.[f] Tillerson is the only Secretary of State since at least 1945 to have been fired.[54]
Katie Walsh White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Implementation January 20, 2017 March 30, 2017 69 days (2 months, 10 days) Kristie Canegallo vacant Previously a deputy finance director in several Republican Party organizations.[55] Resigned after less than three months.[56]
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Excluding interim appointments.
  2. [b]
    Behind only Mike Leavitt, who stepped down 447 days into his term to succeed Tommy Thompson as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
  3. [c]
    as Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs.
  4. [d]
    Excluding interim appointments. Also excludes James Brady, who was permanently disabled by a gunshot wound 69 days into his tenure, and George Stephanopoulos, who briefed the press during his tenure as Communications Director though the title formally belonged to Dee Dee Myers.
  5. [e]
    Formally retained the title until March 31, though his duties were carried out by successor John Sullivan.[51][52]
  6. [f]
    Excluding interim appointments. Behind Edmund Muskie and Lawrence Eagleburger.

References

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