McMaster to leave?

Reports have emerged that H. R. McMaster, the current National Security Advisor will soon be dismissed by US President Donald Trump.

If he is fired, he will join a long list of high profile departures that have taken place in the West Wing in the past few weeks.

Background

US President Donald Trump is a polarizing figure in world politics. He has found himself being criticized for his actions and his statements in the past. He has been accused of sexism, misogyny, racism and more. His administration has also been criticized for being chaotic and controversial. Key members of the administration have left the administration since it came together in 2017. Some of the people who left or were dismissed include Steve Bannon, former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, acting Attorney General Sally Yates, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, Anthony Scaramucci, former Press Secretary Sean Spicer and more.

According to a study done by Kathryn Dunn Tenpas of the Brookings Institute the Trump White House has set the record for one of the highest attrition rates. The research notes that one in three staffers who were part of the White House left their positions within the first year. This is higher than the attrition rates in the five previous administrations.

In the month of February, a number of high profile resignations and firings took place in the White House. Chief among them was the dismissal of Rob Porter, a White House aide who had been accused of domestic violence. Despite the reports surfacing, the White House initially published a statement of support to Rob Porter. However, the tide quickly turned and the current Chief of Staff John Kelly is reported to have fired him. In March, President Trump dismissed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson through a Tweet.

Analysis

Reports have now emerged that H. R. McMaster, the current National Security Advisor could be asked to leave in the near future. McMaster’s appointment initially was universally supported and he was regarded a “grown up” in the White House. However, he is said to have clashed with the President on multiple occasions. He has also been accused of lying and misleading the public on behalf of the president. Earlier, former Chief Strategist Steve Bannon was allegedly in a feud with McMaster, which ended with Bannon’s departure.

CNN and The Washington Post have now reported that McMaster’s departure is imminent and could take place as early as the end of this month. Recently President Trump himself revealed that he was willing to dismiss aides that do not agree with him on key issues. He told reporters, “I'm really at a point where we're getting very close to having the Cabinet and other things that I want.”

Reports from the New York Times have corroborated these reports. CNN has also revealed that McMaster is already in discussion with the Hoover Institution should he be let go of soon. New York Times’ Maggie Haberman tweeted, “McMaster was said by many ppl (people) in the White House to be gone as soon as tomorrow - again, timing accelerated by Kelly. But, as Trump often does, a media story can push him away from where he was leaning in the first place and all around him end up tarred.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has pushed back against these reports however. She took to Twitter to state, “Just spoke to @POTUS and Gen. H.R. McMaster - contrary to reports they have a good working relationship and there are no changes at the NSC.”

Assessment

Our assessment is that the US president’s inner circle continues to grow smaller. There are also additional concerns that President Trump is now surrounding himself with a series of ‘yes men’ and is unwilling to address opposing viewpoints.