Chief of Staff Mark Meadows: The new 'warrior' in the White House

The Power of the “Anonymous”

In a recent radio interview, as Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus - a group of conservative members of the Republican Party, Mark Meadows once said that he was "a nobody, from nowhere, who gained influence in Washington by pushing a conservative agenda." A short sentence but enough to perfectly summarize Mark Meadows' political career and path to Donald Trump.

Growing up in Florida, Mark Meadows spent more than 50 years of his life as a normal person. His father was a soldier, his mother was a nurse, and his family's financial situation was not very good, so becoming a businessman managing a restaurant in North Carolina was enough to satisfy Mark Meadows. At the age of 52, Mark Meadows ran for election in North Carolina and became a Republican representative, starting his political career quite late.

Mark Meadows is a close ally of President Donald Trump. Photo: Politico

Mark Meadows’ transition from business to politics was not widely appreciated. Other members of the Republican Party considered him a hardliner, an extreme conservative, and many even considered him a troublemaker and a blocker. He repeatedly clashed with Republican leaders in Congress on a range of issues, including spending and immigration, and he was also the one who initiated the “rebellion” that forced House Speaker John Boehner to resign in 2015.

Mark Meadows is also an active figure in inflaming the disputes between the Republican and Democratic parties on the issue of budget, health care... That is why, last December, when Mark Meadows announced that he would not run for the next term of Congress, many people thought that his lackluster political career was over. They were extremely surprised when last weekend, President Donald Trump suddenly appointed him as White House Chief of Staff to replace Mick Mulvaney.

But those close to Mark Meadows understand why an “unknown” was chosen for this important position. It is his enthusiastic support for President Donald Trump’s populist policies based on his own “populist instincts”. He was a strong supporter of the “America First” policy that Donald Trump put forward during the 2016 election campaign. He is also willing to fight tenaciously to protect what he considers the principles of the Republican Party.

Mr. Mark Meadows (left) was appointed by President Donald Trump as White House Chief of Staff. Photo: Reuters

Many people still mention his role as the “architect” in the partial government shutdown in late 2018 and early 2019. At that time, former House Speaker Paul Ryan was trying to persuade Donald Trump to compromise on the border wall issue to avoid a US government shutdown, but Mark Meadows urged the President not to waver.

In Mark Meadows' view, this is not simply a matter of building a wall, but of "who will decide what happens in this administration for the next two years. Either Donald Trump or Nancy Pelosi. If Nancy Pelosi wins, she will control everything for the next two years. What we have to do is affirm who is the most powerful person in Washington." Therefore, those who understand the internal situation in the White House believe that, with his intelligence, loyalty and determination, Mark Meadows is the best choice for the position of White House Chief of Staff at this time.

Ready for the big “battle”

Although highly regarded and highly praised by President Donald Trump, it cannot be denied that Mark Meadows is the fourth person to sit in the “hot seat” of White House Chief of Staff after his three predecessors Reince Priebus, John Kelly and Mick Mulvaney. The “spinning” change of personnel is no longer a rare thing for those working in President Trump’s apparatus. But with a position changed four times in less than a term, surely everyone understands the “difficulty” level of this position.

Mr. Mark Meadows defends Mr. Donald Trump before the press in the impeachment investigation related to Ukraine. Photo: Reuters

All three of Mark Meadows' predecessors when appointed to the position of White House Chief of Staff carried with them a lot of expectations. All three of them pursued the motto "let Trump be Trump", which means not trying to "bend" the President into a traditional leadership style, but trying to understand what the President wants and find every possible way to help him achieve it. Mark Meadows will still "let Trump be Trump", but he has something that his three predecessors do not have, which is the fierceness of a warrior. In fact, the reason Mr. Mick Mulvaney was transferred from the position of White House Chief of Staff stemmed from his failure to come up with an effective strategy to protect the President in the impeachment investigation related to Ukraine for more than half a year. In the context of the upcoming presidential election, Donald Trump needs someone stronger to do that.

People still say that Mr. Trump needs a warrior carrying the “Trump” flag on his shoulder, ready to charge into battle after battle for the ultimate victory. Mark Meadows has perfectly recreated that image. Last month, Mark Meadows appeared on Fox News to defend Donald Trump’s campaign to fire a series of high-ranking officials after the impeachment investigation, stating: “Mr. Trump did it because part of the administration tried to sabotage his agenda.” Just two days later, he appeared on television to comment on Donald Trump’s defense of longtime adviser Roger Stone against the risk of being sentenced to prison: “The president has the right to do that.”

A week later, Mark Meadows commented on the Democratic debate: “The clear winner tonight is… Donald Trump!” As a former TV star, known for always appreciating the “TV-ready” qualities of his staff, Donald Trump certainly scored points for Mark Meadows’ excellent performance.

In a statement after being appointed as White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows said that President Donald Trump and his administration have done many amazing things for America in their first term. But the best is yet to come, and he looks forward to being part of the collective effort to bring that great thing to fruition. The Republican Party is preparing to enter a big battle, which is to protect the position of President Donald Trump for a second term, and that is the opportunity for Mark Meadows to affirm his value compared to his predecessors, so that he will no longer mention the phrase "nobody" in any future interviews.