A flood of White House staffers and insiders are seeking a quick exit before the midterms, ahead of expected losses that may make them unemployable.
According to Politico, the thinking in President Donald Trump's administration is that it is best to get out now to avoid the turmoil of a White House under constant siege from a possible Democratic majority.
According to one observer, anyone planning to bail on the increasingly embattled president, "needs to bounce now."
President Donald Trump heads into the second half of his term with key vacancies among his senior White House staff. Whoever comes off the bench must contend with a Democratic-controlled Congress, a slew of subpoenas, a lingering war in the Middle East, and an open Republican presidential primary, according to the report.
Though staff departures around the midterms are not unusual, Trump's desire to run the country through a "handful of close, fiercely loyal aides" means each loss is more "impactful" than in a White House where power and responsibility are more diffuse.
"I think people are seeing the writing on the wall and thinking Republicans probably aren't going to have the House, might not have the Senate either, and things are going to be stalled," one official who served in Trump's first term told Politico.
"People are thinking, 'what are my post-administration business prospects? Is it worth taking these hits every single day, being part of these battles, and how does that hurt my prospects when I go to the private sector?'" the person elaborated.
One person close to the White House framed it as an issue of "marketability."
"If you want a decent job downtown, you need to bounce now, because there are still relationships to trade on in the majority. It might be the last time clients get anything done," the person said.
