Newsmax CEO Sees ‘A Lot of Weakness’ Coming from Reince Priebus in the White House (UPDATE)

News from @ReliableSources: Chris Ruddy @ChrisRuddyNMX says Trump’s not the problem, Reince Priebus is https://t.co/a8Lp1FP4D4

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 12, 2017

This morning Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy, a friend and ally of President Trump‘s, said that the problem in the White House isn’t Trump, but instead perhaps Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Ruddy spoke with the president this weekend and defended Trump to CNN’s Brian Stelter, saying that Trump is “battle-tested” and the big issues in the White House aren’t coming from him.

In saying the White House isn’t showing as much “order” as one would assume, Ruddy argued there’s “a lot of weakness coming from the Chief of Staff.”

He called Priebus a good guy, but said he “clearly doesn’t know how the federal agencies work” and he’s not providing the proper “backup” and “pushback” that Trump would be getting from a stronger chief of staff.

And after that appearance, one reporter tweeted this out:

After Ruddy hit Reince on @brianstelter‘s show, he told me he got text messages from 3 sitting Cabinet secretaries praising his performance.

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) February 12, 2017

UPDATE – 7:05 p.m. EST: Ruddy seemed to change his tune in a tweet he sent out later today.

Reince just briefed me on new WH plans. Impressive! CNN today my personal view. Told him I have 'open mind' based on his results.

— Christopher Ruddy (@ChrisRuddyNMX) February 12, 2017

Watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

— —

Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!