CONGRESS/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WHITE HOUSE STAFF: “Republican House member Mark Meadows will stay in Congress and not become President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff, officials said Wednesday [12-12-18]. Meadows ‘is doing an incredible job in Congress,’ said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. ‘The President told him we need him in Congress so he can continue the great work he is doing there.’ Meadows, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, had expressed interest in replacing the outgoing chief of staff, John Kelly. The North Carolina Republican said, ‘I’ve had the best job in the world’ in Congress, and remains committed to it. “I know the President has a long list of tremendous candidates for his next Chief of Staff, and whomever it is will have my total support moving forward,” Meadows said. The remaining candidates include White House budget director Mick Mulvaney; Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin; former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former campaign aide David Bossie.”
–David Jackson and Eliza Collins, “Mark Meadows out of race for Donald Trump’s new chief of staff,” USA Today, December 12, 2018 5:41 pm