In a classic Trump distract-and-divert-attention from bad news elsewhere (Cohen, Manafort, Flynn) he has put his long suffering chief of staff John Kelly out of his misery and ended his contract.
Kelly, 11 May 1950, a steady, disciplined Sun Mercury in Taurus trine Saturn and Mars in Virgo, was brought in to restore order to the chaos in the White House but fell foul of Trump’s need for constant turmoil and dislike of being hemmed in. Kelly’s Sun Mercury are conjunct Trump’s MC so he could have made a difference; but his Mars squared Trump’s Sun so it was always going to be a fractious interface.
Kelly looks frustrated and down-hearted at the moment, more so through 2019, so he’s clearly a glutton for punishment, or is unhappy at what he’s being forced to spectate as the year rolls on.
The next question is will James Mattis go? Trump has been muttering grumpily about him for months and has just appointed a new Chief of Joint Staffs who was not Mattis’ preference.
Born 8 September 1950, he’s a serious Sun Saturn in Virgo sextile Mars in Scorpio. His Saturn squares Trump’s Sun and Moon and will make Potus feel put down which is guaranteed to put his hackles up. Mattis has been looking terminally gloomy through this year with tr Neptune opposition his Sun and tr Pluto trine his Saturn and those influences run through 2019 as well. He’s looking peculiarly irked and discontented now till January and on through the year he’ll be getting more frustrated and blocked in. His relationship chart with Trump has a composite Mars Neptune which is not mutually ego-supportive – one wins the other feels they lose. And in Trump’s kingdom only one ego is allowed. That aspect is being drenched by Saturn right through this month. If Mattis survives that long in situ, late May 2019 looks like crockery-flying time.
It is unsurprising that Trump would be so obnoxious as to ignore the Defense Sec’s preferred choice. Dunford’s current 2 year term as head of the joint chiefs runs through ’til October 2019. There hasn’t been any word of Trump ditching him early or did I miss something? I still believe Trump will be pushed out before the middle of next year so his pick to replace Dunford may not get a chance. Especially since the Senate has to confirm that appointment.
I have to add, it seems Military and Veteran Administration is one place where Republicans are ready to oppose Trump in any way. Remember when Trump tried to name White House Doctor Ronny Jackson as the director to VA? That got shot down (pun intended) in matters of days, before they even voted? And it couldn’t have been just because Jackson was such an incompetent candidate and unsavory character – Republican Senate has confirmed others as bad or worse than him. But, Military and Veterans are steady Republican supporters (I think I saw polls on up to almost 70 per cent of Army Personel voting Trump), and many Senators are facing re-election in 2020.
Good point.
I noticed too, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs retires in July, well before Dunford and no announcement re his replacement. Makes me think it might be Bolton getting in Trump’s ear and undermining the Pentagon chiefs. Could be Bolton’s petty payback for his ‘right hand man’, Mira Ricardel, being unceremoniously biffed. She caused a lot of trouble at DoD.
Apparently, replacing Kelly isn’t exactly a smooth transition, since VP’s COS Ayers Trump was eyeing for the job said thanks, but no thanks, and goes to work for a PAC. Ayers is 36, he obviously thinks about his career.
Mattis, on the other hand, is well past retirement age for his line of work. He is, by all accounts, very scolarly, even called “Warrior Monk”, and would probably just love to retire and write books on some obscure historical Military Campaigns. I think that when he goes, it will be Trump’s Administration to miss him, because he bears incredible goodwill in Pentagon and NATO circles. It would be hard, if impossible, to replace him without unleashing a serious whisper campaign.