Don?Mc Gahn?to Leave White House Counsel Job This Fall, TrumpSays
Donald F. McGahn II, as the White House counsel, hasbeen known for his willingness to say no to President Trump.CreditDougMills/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Trump surprised Donald F.McGahn II, the White House counsel, on Wednesday by abruptly announcing thatMr. McGahn will be leaving his job this fall,
effectively forcing the long-anticipated exit of a top adviser who?has cooperated extensively in the investigation into Russian election interference. 如愿以償讓這名高級顧問退出蠢正，該顧問深度參與了調(diào)查俄羅斯干預(yù)美國事件拱绑。
The president made the declaration on Twitter withoutfirst informing Mr. McGahn, according to people close to both men. It came 11days after?The New York Times reported?the degree to which Mr. McGahn— who was by Mr. Trump’s side at major moments as the president sought to keepcontrol of the Russia inquiry — has emerged as a key witness in theinvestigation. Over the past nine months Mr. McGahn has given 30 hours oftestimony in at least three voluntary interviews.
Mr. McGahn’s departure?leaves the White House without one of the few senior advisers who have been willing to push back against Mr. Trump. 麥克格恩的離職讓白宮失去了一位本就為數(shù)不多的愿意反擊特朗普的高級顧問。
It also raised the prospect of further WestWing exits, particularly in the White House Counsel’s Office, where Mr. McGahnhas had a loyal staff, with several people staying in their jobs out ofdevotion to him.
Mr. McGahn had long discussed his intention to leaveat some point, but the way Mr. Trump blindsided him with a tweet underscoredhow dysfunctional the relationship had become, even as the Russia inquiryappears to be reaching a critical phase, and the legal scrutiny is mounting forthe president.
Mr. Trump’s decision did not appear to be a directresponse to the disclosure that Mr. McGahn had been cooperating closely withthe special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III — a fact his team was aware of —
though its timing inevitably led toquestions about whether the president was?cutting?loose an aidewho he believed had provided damaging informationabout him. 盡管這一時(shí)機(jī)不可避免地引發(fā)了人們的疑問：總統(tǒng)是否在削減一名助手，因?yàn)樗J(rèn)定這名助手對外提供了不利于他的信息芒炼。
But Wednesday afternoon at the White House, Mr. Trumppraised Mr. McGahn and said he had nothing to fear about what his counsel hadtold Mr. Mueller, even as he appeared to confirm that he was not completelyaware what that was.
“I don’t have to be aware,” he said. “We do everythingstraight. We do everything by the book. And Don is an excellent guy.”
In his tweet Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump said?
Mr.McGahn would leave after the Senate votes?on the confirmation of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, 麥高恩將在參議院投票確認(rèn)法官布雷特m卡瓦諾進(jìn)入最高法院后離開癌瘾。
the culmination of?a quiet but intensive?effort?he has directed to remake thefederal courts?by installing scores of conservative judges.
“I have worked with Don for a long time and trulyappreciate his service!” Mr. Trump said in the Twitter post.
But the relationship between the president and Mr. McGahn has been rocky since he failed to stop the attorney general 司法部長, Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself a year ago fromtheJustice Department’s?司法部門?investigation. The two men also clashed again last June after Mr. Trump askedMr. McGahn?to fire Mr. Mueller. Mr. Trump ultimately backed down after Mr.McGahn threatened to resign?rather than?carry out the president’s directive而不是執(zhí)行總統(tǒng)的命令.
Mr. McGahn’s departure has been rumored for months,and he had told Mr. Trump earlier this year that he planned to?step down?辭職 soon buthad not settled on a date. At the time, Mr. Trump told Mr. McGahn he wasreluctant to let him go. But the two men have not discussed the matterrecently.
The president’s tweet was precipitated by?areport on the Axios website?that Mr. McGahn planned to leave after theconfirmation of Judge Kavanaugh. Hearings on the nomination will begin nextweek.
[You’re Hired! You’re Fired! Yes, the Turnover at theTop of the Trump Administration Is … “Unprecedented.”
Since President Trump’s inauguration 就職典禮, White House staffers and cabinet officials have leftin?firings解雇? and resignations,one after the other.（March 16, 2018）]
Mr. Trump had grown tired of seeing reports that Mr.McGahn might leave, according to people familiar with his thinking, and decidedto take away any?wiggle room?回旋余地 hemight have. Allies of Mr. McGahn said on Wednesday that he believed the storywas planted by his critics to force the president’s hand and hasten thetimeline of announcing his departure.
Among those critics have been Mr. Trump’s daughterIvanka Trump and son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Ms. Trump complained bitterly toher father about The Times report this month, which detailed how some in theWhite House were unaware of the extent of Mr. McGahn’s cooperation with Mr.Mueller, according to a person briefed on the discussion.
One person close to Ms. Trump insisted that she hadnot criticized Mr. McGahn over his appearance before Mr. Mueller and that shehad not played a role in his departure.
Mr. Trump and his White House counsel had alreadygrown distant, with the president bristling at being advised not to takeactions that could draw legal scrutiny, and Mr. McGahn becoming increasinglyweary of serving a client who often refused to listen to legal reasoning.
Mr. McGahn had taken to telling people that a daywithout a summons to the Oval Office 美國總統(tǒng)辦公室was a good day, and he preferred to spend as much timeas possible in his upstairs corner office in the West Wing next to thepresidential counselor Kellyanne Conway — like him a New Jersey native — whichthey called the “New Jersey corner.”
Within the White House, Mr. McGahn was seen as theprotector of presidential institutions and someone not afraid to fight thepresident, and had several?epic史詩般的 screamingmatches to show for it.
Mr. Trump often griped that he wanted to get rid of Mr. McGahn, but the president never seemed willing to follow through?堅(jiān)持到底?on it. The president asked Rob Porter, then the staffsecretary, several times last year if he would be willing? to take over for Mr.McGahn, an idea supported by several of his aides and his children. But Mr.Porter told the president that he did not believe he was qualified for therole, feltit was the wrong fit for?him?這對他不合適 and preferred focusing on policy,?those briefed on the discussions said?那些聽取了討論的人說.?
He has since?left the White House?amid?accusations of spousal abuse后來他在虐待配偶的指控中離開了白宮.
Mr. Trump often blamed Mr. McGahn forthe cloud the special counsel’s?investigation had cast over the White House.特別顧問調(diào)查的陰云已經(jīng)籠罩了白宮
He said Mr. McGahn should have done more to stop Mr.Sessions from recusing himself from the investigation, the decision Mr. Trumpbelieves cleared the way for Mr. Mueller’s appointment in May 2017. But therewas one major decision Mr. McGahn did try to stop, and failed: firing theF.B.I. director, James B. Comey.
Mr. McGahn, who was the top lawyer for the Trumpcampaign,forged a strong bond with?鑄造了牢固的紐帶 Republicancongressional leaders, who regarded?him as a rare island of political sense in a sea of White House officials whom they viewed as overly dramatic and politically inept.認(rèn)為他是白宮眾多戲劇化和無能政客中的一個(gè)罕見孤島 He hadremained in the job, according to people who have spoken with him, in part atthe urging of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, as wellas to help execute a strategy he spearheaded to appoint conservative judges.
Mr. McGahn had tried to lay the groundwork?打下基礎(chǔ) for hisresignation by persuading Mr. Trump to hire Emmet T. Flood — who was part ofthe legal team that represented President Bill Clinton in his?impeachment proceedings?彈劾程序— ashis lead White House lawyer dealing with the special counsel inquiry,?to position Mr. Flood to then succeed?him,讓Flood接替他的位置?according to people close to the discussions.
Still, some Republicans?reacted to the news of his impending departure with alarm盡管如此记劈，一些共和黨人對他即將離任的消息還是做出了驚恐的反應(yīng).?
In a tweet, Senator Charles E. Grassleyof Iowa, the chairman of theSenate?Judiciary Committee?參議院司法委員會,?pleaded with Mr. Trump?not to let himleave the White House.
But some members of conservative legal circles 保守派律師團(tuán)體?in which Mr. McGahn has worked suggested that he had grownfrustrated with serving as the top lawyer in a White House that has drawn morethan the usual share of legal scrutiny.
George T. Conway III, who withdrew last year as Mr.Trump’s choice for a top post in the Justice Department and is Ms. Conway’s husband,?respondedto Mr. Grassley?by tweeting, “remember the eighth amendment, senator.” Itwas a reference to the prohibition in the Constitution against cruel andunusual punishment.
