This is How Backstabbing at the White House Works

Trump and Cliff Sims

When Larry Kudlow first joined the Trump Administration as director of the National Economic Council under President Trump, he spotted then special assistant to the president Cliff Sims as someone he wanted on his team and told him so.

Sims considered the job an advancement. But here is what happened as recounted by Sims in his new book, Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House:

Kudlow pulled me into his private office and closed the door...He had a grim look on his face. "You're not going to be able to work for me on NEC," he said. I shot him a confused look. Wasn't this already worked out?

He explained that he met with Sarah Sanders and Mercedes Schlapp and brought up my move. It had not gone over well, especially with Mercedes. "She said, 'He doesn't play well with other children and can't be trusted,'" he said.

This was the same Mercedes, who to my face, called me "the President's spirit animal" raved about how no one "got the president" or his "voice" like I did... 

Kudlow the poor guy, had no idea about the vicious in fighting in the Press office...

..[W]hen Kudlow brought up bringing me in as his deputy secretary on the NEC, [Chief of Staff John] Kelly and [Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Joe]Hagen shot it down...

"Kelly told me, 'nope that's not going to happen,'" a bewildered Kudlow said. "I told him, 'Well, the President said I could hire my people' and he said 'Not this one you can't.'" 

Kudlow was clearly annoyed by this and a little embarrassed that he offered me a job he wasn't allowed to bestow. But he wasn't going to fight the Chief of Staff over it. I understood that. "I'm so sorry," he said "This was a perfect fit and I don't know all the backstory I just know there's nothing I can do about it."

 And then:

Later that day, I was in the East Wing venting my frustrations to members of the First Lady's staff when I got a cryptic phone call from Sarah Sanders, asking me to come to meet with her and Hope [Hicks] in her office. When I arrived, the mood was strange, almost somber. The good humor that I was accustomed to was nonexistent. 

The two women were there with a warning.

Sarah was a different person since the Porter debacle. She appeared more resigned, more beaten down by the impossible demands of the job. I could see now that in her expression, which was both weary and wary. "We know how frustrated you are," Sarah began. "But there is just no way you're going to rise any higher in the West Wing. You're going to keep getting blocked." 

Then Hope, my friend, jumped in. She was finished with this place too, before it ruined her. "I've always done everything I could to protect you," she said. "But I'm going to be gone soon and I just don't want you to be left you totally fending for yourself. They're going to come for you."

-RW