Reince Priebus Out As Chief Of Staff, John Kelly In

WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump announced on Twitter Friday that Reince Priebus will no longer serve as his White House chief of staff, and current Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly will be taking over the role.

"Reince is a good man," Trump said to reporters shortly after making the announcement. "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."

The announcement comes the night after Republican plans for health care reform met an abrupt end. Republican Sens. John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voted against the last-ditch efforts to repeal parts of Obamacare, scuttling the long-time GOP promise and undermining a centerpiece of the president's agenda. (For more information on this and other political stories, subscribe to the White House Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Watch: Here's How John Kelly Fits As Trump's New Chief Of Staff

"It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve this President and our country," Priebus said in a statement. "I want to thank the President for giving me this very special opportunity. I will continue to serve as a strong supporter of the President's agenda and policies. I can't think of a better person than General John Kelly to succeed me and I wish him God's blessings and great success."

White House chief of staff is typically one of the closest positions to the president, often seen as a "gatekeeper" role deciding who gets to bend the president's ear and which issues cross his desk. Priebus is one of the shortest-serving chiefs of staff in history, though presidents often have more than one person serve in the high-pressure position.

Priebus' coming ouster had long been rumored. A long-time GOP operative and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, Priebus' insider connections always made for an awkward fit with Trump's self-styled outsider image. When Anthony Scaramucci joined the administration as White House communications director last week, many suspected he was being groomed for the higher-level chief of staff role.

And in a stunning call with a New Yorker reporter Wednesday, Scaramucci foreshadowed the chief of staff's departure while throwing out vulgar insults and threats about both Priebus and Steve Bannon, another top aide of the president.

“Reince is a f------ paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” he said of the then-chief of staff. "Reince Priebus—if you want to leak something—he’ll be asked to resign very shortly,”

As secretary of DHS, Kelly has been on the forefront of Trump's key law enforcement objectives, including immigration enforcement. Trump also demonstrated a fondness for former generals such as Kelly. His lack of political experience, though, may be a detriment as chief of staff, because managing relationships with the legislative branch is a core responsibility of the position.

Elaine Duke, deputy secretary of DHS, is likely to take over as acting secretary of the department until a replacement for Kelly is confirmed.

Trump made the announcement while still on Air Force 1, returning from his trip to Long Island:

He added a note of thanks to Priebus:

Scaramucci's hire triggered the resignation of Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who was seen as a close Priebus ally. Many speculated then that the rest of the chief of staff's tenure would be brief.

Priebus will appear on Sean Hannity's Fox News show Friday night, just as Spicer did after he announced his resignation from the administration.

The vice president cheered the decision on Twitter:

"Reince Priebus has left it all out on the field, for our party and our country," House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement.

“General John Kelly is one of the true stars of the Administration," Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "He has helped seal the border and reduced illegal immigration by 70%. He is respected by everyone, especially the people at the Department of Homeland Security. The entire Administration loves him and no one is comparable."

In just about six months of his presidency, Trump has had to replace his national security adviser, FBI director, press secretary, communications director and chief of staff.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images