Though in office for just over a year, the Trump administration has had the highest staff turnover rate of his four most recent predecessors’ in their first two years in office. According to a study completed by the Brookings Institution, 43 percent of top-level positions have seen turnover. Most recently, the resignation of former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks and firings of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left important positions unfilled.
Senior Public Administration major Luke Helms was the Arkansas millennial director and worked on the leadership team for Ted Cruz two years ago in Washington, D.C. Helms said he believes that Trump’s turnover rate is much higher than it should be, but is still impressed by the administration.
“Although I think the rate is too high and needs to slow down, I am a proponent of the most capable and suitable candidate for a job, and at times, the candidate that fills the position becomes incompetent and must be removed,” Helms said. “I must admit that I have been more impressed with President Trump’s administration than I expected when he was elected.”
Senior Josiah Abney, a member of the Young Democrats organization on campus, said President Trump is using these formerly high-level positions as pawns to push an agenda that only widens the divide in America.
“I think what’s left of his administration is a mess,” Abney said. “There’s very little actual political experience left on his team, which is to be expected when you’re simultaneously draining the swamp as well as making America great again. Most of the advisors are just friends of Trump or family members, indicative of a president who cares more about being right than challenged.
Junior history major and president of Harding’s College Republicans organization Nathan Wagner said he believes Trump’s attitude toward his staff is a strength of his leadership style.
“He’s a man who doesn’t put up with people not getting the job done to his standards,” Wagner said. “I think the media has twisted his firings to make it look like he has no control over the White House, when in reality he has complete control. President Trump has these people fired for a reason. I think his current administration is doing a fantastic job so far.”
Only time will tell if the somewhat revolving door in the White House will have any effect on his administration for the next three years and the next election.
