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By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
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what → sign → RAASCH
Some are fleeing to DC consultant shops, others are simply running for cover.
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others → flee → cover
President Donald Trump is hemorrhaging senior administration officials as the Republican Party prepares for a beating in November and GOP staffers seek a safe career space after what's anticipated to be an 'Armageddon' election.
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what → hemorrhage → space
Trump's second term is on track to have the highest senior-level official turnover of any presidency since Ronald Reagan, barring the MAGA chief's first term.
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term → bar → term
Over the last few months, Trump's administration has lost multiple senior-level officials, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump's White House counsel David Warrington, Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and deputy White House Chief of Staff James Blair.
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administration → lose → Staff
Since early August, the White House press shop has lost a quarter of its most senior staff, with three departing to the private sector and one transferring to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
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one → lose → Intelligence
Another junior-level press shop departure is expected on Friday; Press Assistant Ellie Acra will be moving out of DC before her upcoming wedding, a White House official told the Daily Mail.
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official → expect → Mail
'The original coalition fell apart; there's cracks in the MAHA movement and the anti-war MAGA base,' one former administration official said.
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official → fall → movement
'A lot of people don't like the direction this administration is headed between the Iran war and increasing prices.'
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administration → like → war
The Trump administration has lost several senior-level officials over the last couple of months
Trump's former press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced her departure from the administration in August.
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secretary → lose → August
She is now spending more time with her two young children while working at MAGA Inc, the president's political firm
Another former aide said staff feels pressure to cash in now to make enough for legal funds pending any probes:
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staff → spend → probes
'A lot of people are feeling pressure to go to the private sector to make money in case Democrats subpoena them to testify before Congress.
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Democrats → feel → Congress
Trump's 'A Team' turnover - meaning senior Executive Office officials - as of September 30, was 56 percent, according to a Brookings Institution analysis.
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turnover → mean → analysis
The total 'A Team' turnover for Biden's presidency was 40 percent through his first two years in office, according to Brookings, meaning Trump is losing senior officials at a faster clip.
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Trump → accord → clip
While Trump's turnover is on pace to exceed those of all presidents dating back to Ronald Reagan, the number of staff departing this term pales in comparison to his last, when he saw 66 percent of his 'A Team' leave after two years.
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percent → exceed → years
Deputy National Security Adviser and VP JD Vance Adviser Andy Baker, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, US Pardon Attorney Ed Martin and Legislative Affairs Director James Braid all resigned in August.
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Baker → resign → August
Co-deputy FBI Director Andrew Bailey, top Trump AI adviser and economic adviser Ryan Baasch and National Economic Council adviser Paige Willey all recently announced exits as well.
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Bailey → announce → exits
'Historically, turnover picks up after the midterms as staff decide if they want to remain for the rest of the term,' a former Joe Biden White House staffer told the Daily Mail.
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staffer → pick → Mail
And the rate of change in communications staff seems higher than under Biden.'
White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai is heading to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
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Desai → seem → Intelligence
He's one of several White House press shop aides that has recently announced their departure
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that → announce → departure
Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who has long espoused anti-war views, left the Trump administration in June to help her husband as he navigates a cancer diagnosis
Half a dozen current and former administration aides described the same two drivers: burnout and a race for GOP jobs before Democrats take the gavel.
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Democrats → espouse → gavel
'I had no life when I was working at the White House, which is fine.
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which → have → House
That's what you sign up for.
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you → sign → what
You can't do it forever,' one former official said.
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official → do → it
Aides with kids described leaving before school drop-off and getting home after bedtime.
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Aides → describe → bedtime
Friday date nights died in memo edits.
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nights → die → edits
The only quiet stretch, several said, was the Metro ride home – then dinner, then the inbox again.
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several → say → ?
There is no, you know, vacation,' the source added.
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source → be → ?
Another former White House official noted: 'We're making a month's worth of news every like three days on the job...
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We → note → job
Prediction market Kalshi on Thursday priced Democrats at about 91 percent to win the House and about 62 percent to win the Senate.
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Kalshi → price → Senate
Aides hear that as a coming subpoena machine and a smaller market for Republican Hill and lobbying gigs on K Street.
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Aides → hear → Street
Former White House press aide Pat Adams (left) also recently departed
'There's a very real concern that the midterms will not turn out good for Republicans,' a former administration official said.
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official → depart → Republicans
Another put it this way: 'Once November 3 hits, it's Armageddon, and everyone's out.'
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everyone → put → it
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the Daily Mail in a statement: 'President Trump has built the greatest political movement in history, staffing his administration with talented, dedicated patriots who work tirelessly to execute his agenda.
'
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who → tell → agenda
This movement is bigger than any one staff member, and the President’s mission to make America greater than ever before will continue unabated.'
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America → make → member
With Democrats poised to take control of Congress, some in the administration are preparing for the possibility of being dragged up to Capitol Hill to answer for some of the Trump administration's most daring policies.
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some → poise → policies
While leaving the administration will not protect them from being served, at least one noted how they want to make enough cash in the private industry before the midterms so they can hire legal counsel in case they need to.
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they → leave → counsel
None of the people who spoke to the Daily Mail described their administration years as a mistake.
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who → speak → mistake
They called two years a natural break and said it is the same pattern seen under Obama, Biden and Trump's first term, when only four of 24 original Cabinet secretaries lasted all four years.
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secretaries → call → term
'I think people are leaving early because of concerns around the midterms,' one former aide said.
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aide → think → midterms
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
