White House counsel Don McGahn will leave his job this fall, as strains between President Donald Trump and the Justice Department intensify over the Russia investigation and legal risks to the president rise.
McGahn will step down after the Senate votes on the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, Trump said Wednesday on Twitter. McGahn has been widely praised by Republicans as the architect of Trump’s success confirming dozens of conservative judges.
Some of Trump’s allies are promoting Makan Delrahim, the top antitrust official at the Justice Department, as a potential replacement for either McGahn or Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to two people familiar with the matter.
They have also recommended Bobby Burchfield, a prominent Republican lawyer at King & Spalding in Washington, for the same jobs, the people said. The Trump Organization hired Burchfield to help it navigate potential conflicts of interest before Trump’s inauguration.
During his time as White House counsel, McGahn repeatedly butted heads with Trump and occupied a position rife with conflicts. He has met extensively with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team in its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and is an important potential witness regarding whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey.
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04.29.2025