As a Congressman, Mark Meadows (R-NC) was one of President Donald Trump's most devout defenders.
Occasionally at the cost of his own dignity, Meadows leapt to protect the President from the testimony of his former lawyer Michael Cohen, from oversight of his deplorable family separation policy, from impeachment, and more.
So good was Meadows at defending Trump that he recently left his seat in Congress to replace the President's longtime Acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney.
But as the New York Times reports, working at the White House has been a much different experience for Meadows than defending the man living in it.
Maggie Haberman writes in an article titled For Mark Meadows, the Transition From Trump Confidant to Chief of Staff Is a Hard One:
"[A]dministration officials say he has been overwhelmed at times by a permanent culture at the White House that revolves around the president's moods, his desire to present a veneer of strength and his need for a sense of control. It is why, no matter who serves as chief of staff, the lack of formal processes and the constant infighting are unavoidable facts of life for those working for Mr. Trump."
Meadows began his tenure as Chief of Staff by ousting former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, a move which reportedly angered her advocates on Trump's communications team.
According to the article, Meadows—famous for displaying his emotions—cried on at least two occasions when discussing staff changes.
People weren't that sympathetic, believing that Meadows should've seen this coming.
Jared Kushner has repeatedly undermined Meadows's position, most recently when he urged Trump to announce a list of people who would be advising the President on how to most efficiently reopen the economy.
Trump made the announcement at the direction of Kushner, but many of the people on the list hadn't even been aware they were under consideration and hadn't agreed to take part in the discussions.
Meadows thought he would be an exception to Trump's pattern of chaos and vindictiveness, but that was not the case.
Are those violins I hear?
For an inside look into the Trump administration from a former official, check out A Warning, available here.
