美国总统唐纳德·特朗普(L)在小企业管理局局长琳达·麦克马洪和OMB主任米克·穆尔瓦尼的发言中听取了2018年10月17日在华盛顿白宫举行的总统内阁会议。[照片/VCG]华盛顿-美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周五表示,在前新泽西州州长克里斯·克里斯蒂突然退出对该职位的考虑后,他的预算主管米克·穆尔瓦尼将暂时接替白宫办公厅主任的职位。穆尔瓦尼是白宫管理和预算办公室的前国会议员,他将接替退休的海军陆战队上将凯利,凯利将于1月初卸任最高职位。”特朗普在Twitter上宣布了这一决定,他说:“米克在政府工作期间做得很出色。”我期待着以这种新的身份与他合作。”这一决定是在被认为是最高候选人的克里斯蒂几个小时后做出的。克里斯蒂的声明使总统的女婿、高级顾问贾里德·库什纳(Jared Kushner)和美国贸易代表罗伯特·莱希泽(Robert Lighthizer)成为两个最有可能长期取代凯利的人选。2018年1月19日,在美国华盛顿白宫举行新闻发布会时,白宫预算主任米克·穆尔瓦尼做手势。一位知情人士说,(照片/机构)和其他人一样,也处于混合状态。在加入政府之前,穆尔瓦尼是众议院自由核心会议的直言不讳的成员,众议院的保守派共和党议员组成了一个强大的集团。特朗普不是第一次在紧要关头转向穆尔瓦尼。去年11月,他任命穆尔瓦尼为消费者金融保护局代理局长,该机构与前总统奥巴马的任期密切相关。这项任命是在法庭上进行的,但穆尔瓦尼胜诉了,直到本月早些时候,特朗普的官方选择得到了美国参议院的确认。穆尔瓦尼经常出现在周日的电视脱口秀节目中,为特朗普的政策辩护。路透社
US President Donald Trump (L) makes remarks as Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney listen duirng a meeting of the president's Cabinet at the White House in Washington, Oct 17, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Friday said his budget chief, Mick Mulvaney, would take over as White House chief of staff on a temporary basis after former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie abruptly withdrew from consideration for the post.

Mulvaney, a former congressman who heads the White House Office of Management and Budget, would take over from retired Marine General John Kelly, who steps down from the top post in early January.

"Mick has done an outstanding job while in the administration," Trump said in announcing the decision on Twitter. "I look forward to working with him in this new capacity."

The decision came just hours after Christie, who had been considered a top candidate, withdrew his name.

Christie's announcement leaves the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as two top possibilities to replace Kelly on a long-term basis.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney gestures as he holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington, US, January 19, 2018. [Photo/Agencies]

was also in the mix, as were other people, a knowledgeable source said.

Before he joined the administration, Mulvaney was an outspoken member of the House Freedom Caucus, a powerful bloc of conservative Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

This is not the first time Trump has turned to Mulvaney in a pinch.

Last November, he named Mulvaney the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency that had been closely associated with former President Barack Obama’s tenure.

The appointment was fought in court, but Mulvaney prevailed and ran it until earlier this month, when Trump’s official pick was confirmed by the US Senate.

Mulvaney often appears on Sunday TV talk shows to defend Trump's policies.

Reuters