Trump Says Chief of Staff John Kelly to Leave at Year's EndPresident Donald Trump says chief of staff John Kelly will leave his job at the end of the year. Trump isn’t saying immediately who will replace Kelly, a retired Marine general who has served as chief of staff since July 2017. But the president says an announcement about a replacement will be coming in the next day or two. Trump spoke to reporters at the White House before departing for the Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia. He calls Kelly “a great guy.” The West Wing shake-up comes as Trump is anticipating the challenge of governing and oversight when Democrats take control of the House in January, and as gears up for his own campaign for re-election in 2020.