After Weeks of Missteps, Nervous Trump Aides Hope for a Reboot Rattled by President Donald Trump's increasing frustration with the staff guidance he's getting and by the administration's unforced errors, White House officials are
desperately hoping the president's first foreign trip beginning on Friday offers a chance to reboot what's become a damaging narrative.
Preparations for the trip come as Trump's inner circle appears to be shrinking, fueling paranoia inside the West Wing among a fatigued staff battered by a drumbeat of reports suggesting
some senior staffers are on the chopping block.
While some kind of shake-up appears nearly inevitable at this point, insiders caution it doesn't seem imminent — at least, not right now.
The sources quoted in this article asked for anonymity to be able to discuss internal administration conversations.
Bannon's influence, in particular, appears to be waning. Those close to him believe Bannon seems increasingly out of the loop on key issues, like the firing of former FBI director James Comey. Two administration sources say
the chief strategist didn't find out the decision was final until after it was a done deal.
Two other sources close to the president say Chief of Staff
Reince Priebus, concerned about being perceived as out of the loop, has crashed West Wing meetings in an effort to stay keyed in on comings and goings.
As for beleaguered Press Secretary
Sean Spicer: he's been the subject of persistent firing rumors for months, but even his allies acknowledge the latest flurry of chatter feels more substantial. Multiple sources cite a
growing split between Spicer and Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, who made clear his displeasure with how the press shop handled the Comey firing fallout.
Still, if President Trump does decide to go in a different direction, he'll face another problem: "You can't fire your senior team, or most of them, if you don't have anybody ready to go," said one source familiar with the discussions. "They clearly don't have anybody ready to go."
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/after-weeks-missteps-nervous-trump-aides-hope-reboot-n759381