President Donald Trump is considering yet another shakeup of his administration, preparing to remove Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and looking at possible replacements for Chief of Staff John Kelly, including Vice President Mike Pence’s Chief of Staff Nick Ayers, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Nielsen, who became secretary at Homeland Security when John Kelly left DHS to become Trump’s chief of staff, is expected to leave her role in the coming weeks and could be asked to resign, according to sources. However, Kelly is fighting to delay her departure, the sources said.
The timeline for a shakeup remains unclear and the White House has not responded to a request for comment.
“The Secretary is honored to lead the men and women of DHS and is committed to implementing the President’s security-focused agenda to protect Americans from all threats and will continue to do so,” DHS spokesperson Tyler Houlton said in a statement Tuesday.
The Washington Post first reported the news of Nielsen’s potential departure. The White House did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment about the potential changes.
Meanwhile, Kelly’s job is also uncertain and his fate has been in question for some time. Sources tell ABC News that within the last few weeks, the president has once again discussed Kelly’s fate with many of his top advisers; Kelly has continued to grow distant with the president, sources said.
This past summer, ABC News reported that Kelly had accepted the president’s request to remain as chief staff through 2020.
