MIKE PENCE/POLITICS: “Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff railed against congressional leaders in closed-door remarks to wealthy donors and called for a ‘purge’ if GOP lawmakers don’t quickly rally behind President Donald Trump’s agenda.
In remarks at a Republican National Committee event at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington on Tuesday [10-3-17] morning, Nick Ayers also warned that Republicans are ‘on track to get shellacked’ in next year’s midterm elections if GOP lawmakers don’t pass Trump’s legislative priorities.
But Ayers reserved his harshest criticism for congressional leaders and members who have not offered full-throated support for the president…
The remarks are some of the most extensive to emerge from Ayers, who joined the White House over the summer after initially opting to remain on the outside. A longtime adviser to Pence and a top aide on the 2016 campaign, he’s widely respected in Republican circles as a sharp-elbowed and strategic operative…
The White House and the vice president’s office declined to comment on Ayers’ remarks. Ayers also declined to comment. Speaker Paul Ryan’s office and Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
-Andrew Restuccia and Matthew Nussebaum, “Pence’s chief of staff floats ‘purge’ of anti-Trump Republicans to wealthy donors,” Politico, Oct. 3, 2017 02:23pm