Politics

Trump forces out Reince Priebus, names Gen. John Kelly chief of staff

“Survivor: White House” claimed its latest victim when President Trump on Friday dropped the bombshell announcement that he was replacing embattled chief of staff Reince Priebus with Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly.

“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 a pair of tweets at about 4:50 p.m.

Priebus had been in the president’s dog house for months — and resigned privately on Thursday.

“I resigned privately yesterday,” Priebus confirmed to the Wall Street Journal.

But the president still praised and thanked him in a third tweet.

“I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him!” he wrote.

Priebus had accompanied the president to Long Island on Air Force One for a speech in which Trump railed against street gangs.

Upon arriving back at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump had more warm words for the longtime GOP official as well as praise for Kelly.

“Reince is a good man. John Kelly will do a fantastic job. General Kelly has been a star, done an incredible job thus far, respected by everybody. He’s a great great American. Reince is a good man,” Trump told reporters.

Trump announced the move a day after his new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, accused Priebus of leaking information to reporters in a profanity-laced tirade.

Priebus, the former chair of the Republican National Committee, lasted six months in the pressure cooker that is Trump’s White House.

But his problems began early on, when he clashed with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, strategist Steve Bannon and the president himself over a range of issues.

Perhaps the low point of his tenure came on Thursday, when Scaramucci unleashed a vulgar attack on him.

“Reince is a f–king paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” Scaramucci ranted at Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker.

“Reince Priebus — if you want to leak something — he’ll be asked to resign very shortly.”

He accused Priebus of leaking his financial disclosure forms, which were public information, and for telling Lizza about a dinner he had with Trump, Fox host Sean Hannity and ex-Fox exec Bill Shine.

Kelly, a retired Marine general, was put in charge of Homeland Security from day one of Trump’s presidency.

It was the latest of what could be a string of White House departures.

Sean Spicer quit after Scaramucci was hired, and Michael Short of the communications shop quit before Scaramucci could fire him.

Reince Priebus (right) checks his phone after stepping off Air Force One as they arrive at Andrews Air Force Base.AP