LEAKS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House’s top liaison to Capitol Hill will leave the job as early as this summer, lamenting to colleagues the ‘diminishing returns’ of pushing President Donald Trump’s agenda through the Republican-controlled Congress as the midterm elections approach, according to people familiar with the conversations. Legislative affairs director Marc Short told White House Chief of Staff John Kelly before the president’s trip to Singapore that he is likely to leave soon, according to the people. Asked to comment, Mr. Short said, ‘There are so many leaks in this building.’ One potential successor to Mr. Short is Shahira Knight, deputy director of the National Economic Council. Mr. Kelly has spoken to Ms. Knight about the job and she expressed her interest, according to one person familiar with the conversation. Ms. Knight declined to comment. A hire of former NEC Director Gary Cohn, Ms. Knight had given her notice and was set to join a banking policy and lobbying group. Ms. Knight’s last day at the White House is scheduled for Monday [6-18-18]. But she also has spoken to colleagues about potentially staying longer at the White House after her new boss, Lawrence Kudlow, recently suffered a heart attack, a White House official said.”
-Michael C. Bender, “White House Capitol Hill Envoy to Leave Post, Citing ‘Diminishing Returns,'” The Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2018 2:54 pm