Trump World Goes Into ‘Protect Johnny Mode’ After Body Man Is Fired From White House

Source: Daily Beast | March 14, 2018 | Lachlan Markay, Asawin Suebsaeng

John McEntee may be out of the White House, but Trump world is circling the wagons to protect the longtime staffer.

John McEntee was baffled when he got word of his imminent firing from the White House on Monday. So McEntee, the president’s trusted “body man,” went straight to Chief of Staff John Kelly.

He asked for a lifeline.

Instead, an apologetic Kelly simply told him there was nothing that could be done, and that he would soon be escorted off the grounds by White House security, according to two sources familiar with the situation. He was then removed so swiftly he was not allowed to collect his belongings.

Thus ended, suddenly, McEntee’s nearly three year run at the president’s side, during which he had endeared himself to the Trump family and the circle of top aides and associates who have surrounded the president since he kicked off his run for the White House.

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The Wall Street Journal, which broke the news of McEntee’s ouster, subsequently reported that his firing was rooted in an online gambling habit and resulting tax issues that had prevented him from obtaining a security clearance necessary for his role in the West Wing.

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Though he’s out at the White House, McEntee’s role in Trump-world continues nearly uninterrupted. He had already lined up a position on the president’s reelection campaign, and it was assumed within the White House and in pro-Trump circles that as a veteran of 2016 team, he would return to the campaign trail for the 2020 run.

The campaign, currently helmed by Trump digital guru Brad Parscale, announced his hiring on Tuesday, almost immediately after the news of his firing broke, in a press release that also heralded the official arrival of Katrina Pierson, a lead spokesperson for Trump’s 2016 campaign and another shoo-in for the Trump reelection effort. Both Pierson and McEntee were given the title of “senior advisor.”

A source familiar with the situation said the news reports on Tuesday would not have affected McEntee’s hiring anyway, and that the campaign plans to keep him on board in spite of reports of a federal investigation. McEntee could not be reached for comment on the circumstances of his White House departure or future plans.

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But unlike a disgraced former rising star like Porter, McEntee continues to have friends in high places. Those close to the president consider him mobbed up with “the originals,” a term used by Trump loyalists to denote longtime, trustworthy allies and aides.

That loyalty is translating into some much-needed support. As one source described it, Trump-world is currently in “protect-Johnny mode.”

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