Mark Meadows has a new job: White House Chief of Staff.
The former congressman, who represented western North Carolina, officially resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives Monday to take up the job in the Trump administration.
Meadows, a Republican who served in the House since 2013, is the fourth person to work as Mr. Trump’s Chief of Staff.
“Serving the people of North Carolina’s eleventh congressional district for these last seven years has been the honor of my life,” Meadows wrote in his letter of resignation. “I will forever be grateful for the opportunity.”
The president named Meadows his new chief during the first week of March.
Meadows announced in December he would not run for re-election, hinting in a statement at the time that his work with the president and his administration was “only beginning.” He had previously been rumored as a potential Chief of Staff pick.
Meadows replaces Mick Mulvaney, who never dropped “acting” from his title.
Over the past few weeks, Meadows has been in transition between his two posts. He recently helped with negotiations on the $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill that Congress passed last week.
Meadows enters the job at a time of national crisis.
When Meadows was named the new chief in early March, there were about 200 COVID-19 cases nationwide, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now upon entering the job, the number is nearing 200,000 and it is only rising.
In a statement marking his first day at the White House, Meadows acknowledged the coronavirus fight, writing, "With President Trump at the helm, our country will emerge from this trial better than ever before. I look forward to playing a small part in that story.”
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The White House Chief of Staff has traditionally served as a sort of gate-keeper to the Oval Office. However, the role’s influence has diminished under the Trump administration.
“Trump doesn’t want anyone to guide him, to instruct him, or to put brakes on him,” said Mark Rom, who teaches public policy at Georgetown University. “President Trump wants to be the president, the Chief of Staff, and the cabinet at the same time.”
Meadows made waves in his early years on Capitol Hill. He helped create the conservative House Freedom Caucus. He also played a role in the ouster of former House Speaker John Boehner, a fellow Republican.
In recent years, Meadows served as a staunch Trump defender in Congress, especially during the impeachment trial.
Meadows is not the first person with North Carolina ties to serve as White House Chief of Staff. Erskine Bowles, a businessman originally from Greensboro, had the job under Bill Clinton.