Trump laying blame for turmoil on communications staff: Sources
The president is said to have expressed frustration with multiple advisers.
— -- As the White House faces another week of turmoil, sources tell ABC News President Donald Trump is laying a large chunk of the blame squarely on his communications team.
Before Monday's bombshell report about the president divulging classified information to Russian representatives, Trump began his day by summoning his communications team to the Oval Office.
Press secretary Sean Spicer, principal deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and communications director Mike Dubke all met face to face with a furious Trump who vented at the three of them, sources familiar with the meeting told ABC News. The president made it clear that Spicer and Dubke’s jobs are on the line. A source told ABC News that axes will fall, but it’s unclear exactly when that will happen.
Around the West Wing, it’s not just the president who has expressed frustration with the White House communications team -- it’s one of his closest advisers, son-in-law Jared Kushner. Another source told ABC News that Kushner is “done with all of them and has been saying it in meetings, maybe saying it too much, but they all know he’s not their No. 1 fan.”
As he gears up for his first foreign trip, the president is said to be “frustrated across the board” with his team, especially when it comes to leaks to the media. Though many close to the president are encouraging a shake-up, it’s unclear if and when that will happen. As of now, Spicer and Sanders will be going on the trip, with Dubke staying behind.