Meadows out of the running to be Trump’s chief of staff

White House

The White House says the president needs the House Freedom Caucus chairman in Congress.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, is no longer under consideration to be President Donald Trump’s chief of staff.

“Congressman Mark Meadows is a great friend to President Trump and is doing an incredible job in Congress,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Wednesday. “The President told him we need him in Congress so he can continue the great work he is doing there.”

Story Continued Below

Meadows, a staunch Trump ally, had been a top contender for the position after Nick Ayers — the president’s first choice to replace John Kelly, who Trump said last weekend would be leaving at the end of the year — turned it down. Meadows had signaled his interest in recent days, despite early reports that he was telling confidants he didn’t want the job. But ultimately, the White House said, the president thought it best for him to remain in Congress, where he can continue to be a strong outside defender of the administration.

In a statement, Meadows said he was “fully committed” to continuing to work alongside Trump as a member of Congress.

“I know the President has a long list of tremendous candidates for his next Chief of Staff, and whomever it is will have my total support moving forward,” he said.

The development further narrows the list of possible candidates for the job.

Among those who have been talked about for the position: David Bossie, a former Trump campaign deputy manager; former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey; Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget; U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; and Republican fundraiser Wayne Berman. Mulvaney and Mnuchin have both signaled to the White House that they are not interested in the job.

Meadows was a favored candidate among Trump’s outside conservative allies. Bossie was said to be privately telling friends that he hoped Meadows would get the job — and some people close to the White House privately suggested that Bossie could serve as Meadows’ deputy.

Bossie and Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager, are slated to meet with the president at the White House on Friday for lunch.

White House aides said the president was expected to make a final decision by the end of the year.

Trump has insisted that he has no shortage of options for chief of staff. He told Reuters on Tuesday that he was deciding among 10 to 12 candidates.

“Everybody wants it,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to be one of the top few people in Washington, D.C.?”

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Meadows was out of the running.