Trump insists White House is a 'great place to work' but admits he likes conflict
The president responded to reports nobody wants to work in his White House.
President Trump insisted Tuesday that the White House is a “great place to work,” even as he acknowledged that he likes conflict in the workplace as a way to hear different points of view.
“The White House has tremendous energy. Tremendous spirit. It is a great place to be working,” Trump said.
“Many, many people want every single job. I read maybe people don't want to work for Trump. Believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House. They all want a piece of that Oval Office, they want a piece of the West Wing. Not only in terms of it looks great on their resume, it is a great place to work."
The president made the comments during a joint news conference with the prime minister of Sweden, amid recent departures by senior aides and reports of infighting among West Wing staff.
The president went on to acknowledge that he encourages dissent among his staff in the course of his own decision-making process, saying “I like conflict."
“I like having two people with different points of view,” Trump said. “And I certainly have that. And then I make a decision. I like watching it. I like seeing it and I think it is the best way to go.”
The president did not directly address a question about the status of his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, about whom Trump has publicly vented his frustrations, but did say there will be turnover within the administration.
“There will be people, I won't be specific, but there will be people that change,” Trump said. “They always change. Sometimes they want to go out and do something else. But they all want to be in the White House. So many people want to come in. I have a choice of anybody.”
Earlier Tuesday, Trump tweeted about news reports of chaos in the White House.
"The new Fake News narrative is that there is CHAOS in the White House. Wrong!" Trump tweeted. "People will always come & go, and I want strong dialogue before making a final decision. I still have some people that I want to change (always seeking perfection). There is no Chaos, only great Energy!"
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