BREAKING: PRESIDENT TRUMP TWEETS JOHN KELLY NEXT CHIEF OF STAFF
President Donald Trump tweets that he's named John F. Kelly as the next White House Chief of Staff.
Sec. Kelly replaces Reince Priebus.
"I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American... and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration," Trump said in two separate tweets.
What's happening in the political world:
Trump frustrated by latest health care vote
-- President Trump expressed frustration after the Senate Republican's "skinny repeal" bill was voted down.
After yet another setback in the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, Trump tweeted late Thursday night: "3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!"
Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins sided with Democrats to vote against the latest proposal, but it was Sen. John McCain who seemingly struck the final blow to the bill by also voting against it.
His surprise decision came after a prolonged drama on the Senate floor. Multiple Republican colleagues, including Vice President Mike Pence, engaged in animated conversations with the Arizona senator who has long cherished his reputation as a maverick.
At one point before the final vote, Trump called Pence, who handed the phone to McCain, a source briefed on the call told CNN. The call, just off the Senate floor, was brief and ultimately unsuccessful.
Skinny repeal fell short because it fell short of our promise to repeal & replace Obamacare w/ meaningful reform https://t.co/tZISIvccOO
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 28, 2017
In a Friday morning tweet, likely out of frustration, Trump said: "If Republicans are going to pass great future legislation in the Senate, they must immediately go to a 51 vote majority, not senseless 60...Even though parts of healthcare could pass at 51, some really good things need 60. So many great future bills & budgets need 60 votes...."
Trump promises to deport MS-13 "animals"
-- In a speech in New York Friday, President Trump outlined his administration's efforts to combat the street gang known as MS-13.
Trump's visit to Long Island was significant, as the city has seen its share of violence recently carried out by MS-13 members. The president was expected to call for increased border security and tougher immigration policies as a way to stop the gang.
"Together we're going to restore safety to our streets and peace to our communities and we're going to destroy the vile, criminal cartel MS-13 and many other gangs," Trump said. "We're going to enforce our laws, protect our borders and support our police like our police have never been supported before."
CNN contributed to this report
