Joseph Hagin, Donald Trump’s point man on North Korea, ‘to leave White House for CIA as Trump loyalists amass against him’
Hagin was deputy chief of staff for George W. Bush and an aide to George H.W. Bush, and that has made him a figure of suspicion by Trump loyalists, insiders said
White House deputy chief of staff Joseph “Joe” Hagin, the point person arranging the North Korean nuclear summit, is preparing to leave his West Wing post soon, according to four people familiar with White House planning.
Hagin, who is in Singapore this week and has been negotiating logistics for the on-again, off-again meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, may leave his job overseeing White House operations soon after returning from the historic visit, two of the people said.
Some of those close to Hagin say that he intends to run for the job of deputy director of the CIA, which is now vacant. But others have spoken of a rising backlash against the former Bush ally by Trump loyalists, who see him as a symbol of a bygone dynasty, and resent his adherence to convention.
One close Trump adviser said Hagin is eyeing the CIA job and plans to leave his White House post almost immediately after returning from Singapore.
Joe sticks to the rules. This White House doesn’t like that … They say, ‘We’re going to make America great again. Get out of our way’
A close associate of Hagin’s also said he is seriously eyeing the now-vacant CIA leadership position, adding that Hagin has not decided on a date to depart but does plan to leave the White House.