Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

There’s a new JFK in the White House. President Trump has appointed retired U.S. Marine General John F. Kelly to be his new White House chief-of-staff replacing Reince Priebus, who resigned after six months. Previously Kelly had been in the president’s cabinet as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Chief-of-Staff Kelly was sworn in early Monday morning, by noon time he showed everyone who’s boss when he showed newly-minted White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci the door. Only after serving a mere 10-days Scaramucci was scrapped. What happened?

Scaramucci accepted the top communication’s position on the condition that he would answer only to President Trump, not the former Chief-of-Staff Priebus. During Scaramucci’s brief stint he was interviewed by a reporter with New Yorker magazine in which he went on a profanity-laced rant against Priebus calling him a “paranoid schizophrenic” and making disparaging remarks against presidential advisor Steve Bannon. With the president’s blessing Scaramucci was fired immediately after Kelly began his new role at the White House, according to a New York Times story published on the Real Clear Politics website. This action was announced soon after the firing by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. As soon as national TV news reported Scaramucci was out, it was like one of those jaw-dropping ‘Oh My God’ moments.

“The president certainly felt that Anthony’s comments were inappropriate for a person in that position,” Sanders said. “General Kelly has the full authority to operate within the White House, and all staff will report to him.”

President Trump made a mistake with bringing Scaramucci into the White House. He’s no communicator to represent the Trump administration before the national and international news agencies, the American public and the U.S. Congress. In a very short time Scaramucci showed himself to be an attention-seeking loud mouth not worthy of answering directly to the president or working in the West Wing at all. He had about the same classiness about him as a used-car salesman with white shiny shoes, a pink tie and an ear-to-ear grin.

On the same day Scaramucci was hired — Press Secretary Sean Spicer quit — throwing the position to Sanders. Now the communication’s top job is open again. Of course all of these White House transitions and changes are being widely reported on by the mainstream media and discussed by all the political talking heads. Late night comedians are having a field day poking fun at Trump and his ever changing cast of characters within the best Reality TV show full of twists, turns and intrigue worthy of soap-opera status.

All of these personality conflicts within the President Trump’s inner circle contribute nothing to moving the U.S. forward with the president’s “America First” agenda. Bringing on a tough, disciplined U.S. Marine 4-Star general to run the West Wing of the White House is a move about six-months overdue.

Kelly accepted the chief-of-staff position on the condition that he would have authority over White House personnel, the flow of information and access to the Oval Office that has been the traditional role of the president’s chief-of-staff in other administrations.

Just how much Kelly’s influence will have over President Trump and the West Wing remains to be seen. But the president saw the hand writing on the wall that his administration needed a solid foundation which a strong chief-of-staff provides for those representing the president. With Kelly onboard, the free-wheeling days of the Trump presidency are over.

Let’s hope Kelly can tame the first-ever ‘tweeter’ presidency. President Trump must know he needs to listen to his new chief-of-staff and follow his orders something Trump is not good at – taking direction — but if he wants to be successful he’ll be saying “yes sir” to Mr. Kelly.

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.