President Trump’s friends worry that when his longtime bodyguard Keith Schiller leaves the White House he’ll lose an important sounding board and one of the most loyal aides who has ever served him.
Trump believes Schiller ‘tells him the truth because the only dog he has in the fight is the boss,’ one presidential confidant told the Axios news website, suggesting that the aide’s departure could affect Trump’s mood and psyche.
Even though Schiller is his ‘body man’ – a hulking tower of security muscle that supplements his Secret Service protection – the president asks his opinion about policy and personnel matters.
After burning through a chief of staff, a chief strategist, a press secretary and three communications directors, Trump will soon be left with few people from his original team at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: interim communications director Hope Hicks and social media guru Dan Scavino.
President Trump’s personal security guard Keith Schiller is considering leaving the White House, according to CNN – but the administration says it’s ‘not true’
Schiller first served as Trump’s bodyguard in 1999 and went to work for him full-time in 2005 after leaving the New York City police department, where he was a detective
Schiller has been at the president’s side as his chief of security since 2005 and first worked for him as a bodyguard in 1999. CNN reported Friday that he plans to leave. The White House disputed that, telling the cable network it’s ‘not true.’
Schiller occupies office space directly adjacent to the Oval Office most of the time while the president is taking meetings, and adds personal attention to anticipate the Commander-in-Chief’s more mundane needs.
But he also serves as connective tissue between Trump and his circle of friends in New York City.
Until new chief of staff John Kelly took over, the president’s Big Apple pals could text Schiller and know that Trump would call them back personally.
Compared to the $294,000 salary he earned last year at The Trump Organization and through his own private security firm, Schiller’s current earnings of $165,000 are a pittance.
Executive branch salaries are capped by the federal government and depend on the rank of the job.
The 6’4″ hulking Schiller famously ejected Univision reporter Jorge Ramos from a 2015 Trump press conference after he refused to stop pestering the then-candidate about immigration
Making Schiller ‘Director of Oval office Operations’ allowed him to earn nearly as much as the White House press secretary and chief of staff.
Still, his friends say, his decision not to stay at the White House is largely a financial one.
Schiller’s departure, which could come as soon as a month from now, would follow the recent exit of Steve Bannon, the sixth top-shelf aide to depart since the president moved to Washington. Bannon’s ouster also left high-profile national security aide Sebastian Gorka unprotected; he was fired last week.
Others in the West Wing departure lounge have included former national security adviser Gen. Mike Flynn, chief of staff Reince Priebus, press secretary Sean Spicer and communications directors Jason Miller, Mike Dubke and Anthony Scaramucci.
Trump has also dismissed FBI director James Comey in early May. it was Schiller who hand-carried the official letter to the FBI saying he’d been fired.
if Schiller departs, he will follow shortly after former chief strategist Steve Bannon, who left the West Wing last month
CNN reported on Friday that Schiller has chafed at new chief of staff John Kelly’s attempts to professionalize the West Wing and control who meets with the president.
Schiller has complained that if he wants to reach the president, he now has to call the White House switchboard and ask.
Previously, the former New York City police detective had ‘walk-in’ privileges in the Oval Office, whose door Trump typically kept open between meetings.
The 6’4″ body-man famously ejected Univision reporter Jorge Ramos from an August 2015 campaign press conference after he refused to stop pestering then-candidate Trump about illegal immigration.
THE NON-STOP WHITE HOUSE BLOODBATH
Michael Flynn, national security adviser
Flynn was forced to resign on Monday February 13, over controversy surrounding his ties with Russia. His 24-day-long tenure was the shortest in the history of the office.
James Comey, FBI director
President Trump sacked Comey in a letter sent to the FBI director on Tuesday May 9. Trump’s decision to fire him was on the recommendation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Comey had served as head of the FBI since September 2013.
Sean Spicer, press secretary
On Friday July 21, Spicer announced he was stepping down as White House Press Secretary after a tumultuous tenure. It was rumored the embattled press secretary was pushed out of his position after Trump hired Anthony Scaramucci.
Reince Priebus, chief of staff
Priebus was fired on Friday July 28 when he was summoned to the president’s Air Force One cabin and told he was out. He was then kicked out of the president’s motorcade and forced to leave the tarmac in a separate car.
Anthony Scaramucci, director of communications
Just ten days after Trump hired him to take over White House communications, the ‘Mooch’ was let go, on Monday 31 July. His short-lived role in the White House holds the record for the shortest in history of his position