President Trump’s former campaign manager said Sunday that retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, the incoming White House chief of staff, would do well to avoid trying to “change” Mr. Trump through his new role.
“The thing that Gen. Kelly should do is not try to change Donald Trump,” Corey Lewandowski said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“You have to let Trump be Trump,” Mr. Lewandowski said. “That is what has made him successful over the last 30 years. That is what the American people voted for. And anybody who thinks they’re going to change Donald Trump doesn’t know Donald Trump.”
In an abrupt shake-up, Mr. Trump announced late last week that Mr. Kelly would be replacing outgoing chief of staff Reince Priebus, who reportedly clashed with new White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
“I think Gen. Kelly is going to restore order to the staff. His title is chief of staff, not chief of the president,” Mr. Lewandowski said.
Mr. Lewandowski said he would expect Mr. Kelly to bring the kind of “discipline” to the staff to make sure that leaks stop, that the president’s agenda is made the top priority, and that there will be no more “backbiting” and “stabbing each other in the back.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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