White House: Trump Has No Plans to Change His Cabinet

A week after the U.S. President's criticisms of the Attorney General, the White House announced on Monday, August 9, that Donald Trump has "no plans to change his cabinet." According to the Associated Press, the White House spokesperson emphasized in a press briefing that Mr. Trump has "100 percent" confidence in his cabinet. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House spokesperson, stated that there is "no talk" of changes or reshuffles among the members of the U.S. government and that Mr. Trump has trust and confidence in all members of his cabinet. Last Tuesday, Donald Trump criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions in several tweets, stating that he should not have recused himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. elections. He even went so far as to call the Attorney General "weak" and "ineffective." In response, Jeff Sessions, who was one of Trump's earliest supporters during his campaign and the first senator to officially endorse him, replied that he loves his job and will continue to work as long as he deems it appropriate. Hours after Trump's criticism of Sessions, the White House announced that a decision regarding his future would be made soon. However, this was a promise made by Anthony Scaramucci, the then-White House Communications Director, who himself was removed from his position just ten days after starting, following a controversial interview with The New Yorker. Reports indicate that Scaramucci's dismissal was the first decision made by John Kelly in his role as Chief of Staff. Trump appointed John Kelly after Reince Priebus stepped down from the position. According to the Associated Press, Jeff Sessions was also present at the cabinet meeting on Monday, which was held for the first time under Mr. Kelly, a retired general and former Secretary of Homeland Security. Sessions recused himself from the investigation into the Trump campaign's ties with the Russian government after it became known that he had not disclosed his meeting with the Russian ambassador during Trump's campaign. He made this decision without consulting the President, effectively paving the way for the appointment of a special counsel, Robert Mueller. Mueller's investigation and two separate investigations currently ongoing in Congress have impacted Trump's presidency, drawing in many of his close associates, including his son Donald Trump Jr. and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump has consistently denied any allegations regarding his campaign's connections with Russia.