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All the president's departed men and women: Here's who has left the Trump administration

All the president's departed men and women: Here's who has left the Trump administration

President Donald Trump has presided over a White House plagued by turnover amid controversy and tumult. His administration has seen a number of high-profile officials leave their posts sooner than expected. To be sure, each exit was preceded by its own set of foreboding signs and circumstances. But the departures are generally heralded by growing reports of warring factions within the Oval Office. Here's a running list of top officials who have left Trump's team, by choice or by force: Sally Yates Fired Jan. 30 Formerly acting attorney general Trump fired Yates after she directed Justice Department lawyers not to defend his first executive order restricting travel for people from seven majority-Muslim nations. The president slammed Yates, saying she "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." Yates previously served as deputy attorney general in the Obama administration. She then became acting attorney general, pending the confirmation of Jeff Sessions.

Michael Flynn Resigned Feb. 13Formerly national security advisor Flynn left his role after days of intense scrutiny about his discussions with Russian officials prior to Trump's inauguration. The Washington Post reported that he discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with then-ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Yates later testified under oath that she warned the White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail. In his resignation letter, the former national security advisor admitted that he inadvertently misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his phone calls with Kislyak.

Preet Bharara Fired March 11 Formerly U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York Trump fired Bharara after the prosecutor refused to agree to the Justice Department's demand that he and 45 other U.S. attorneys submit their resignations. While it's not unusual for a new administration to appoint its own federal prosecutors, the holdovers are not typically ousted all at once. Bharara's removal was also unusual because it came months after a meeting with Trump at Trump Tower. After the meeting, the attorney told reporters that the then-president-elect had asked him to stay on in his role.

James Comey Fired May 9 Formerly FBI director Trump abruptly fired Comey amid multiple investigations into possible ties between his campaign and the Kremlin. The White House initially said Comey was removed on the recommendations of the top two officials in the Justice Department. But Trump later told NBC News that he would have fired the longtime federal agent "regardless" of what the department said. The president also said he was considering "this Russia thing" when he ousted Comey.

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Michael Dubke Resigned May 30 Formerly White House communications director Dubke wrote in a note to associates that he originally tendered his resignation on May 18. He said that at that time he offered to remain in the role through the remainder of the president's international trip. Dubke said he left his position for personal reasons.

Sean Spicer Resigned July 21 Formerly White House press secretary Spicer resigned after opposing the president's appointment of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director. The longtime Republican operative said Trump had asked him to stay in his role. His successor, Sarah Sanders, said Spicer left to give the communications team a clean slate. After Dubke's resignation, Spicer had taken over some of the responsibilities of a communications director.

Reince Priebus Resigned July 27 Formerly chief of staff Priebus "formally resigned" after the president repeatedly pressured him to exert order on a tumultuous White House. His exit came on the heels of Scaramucci's appointment as White House communications director. Despite multiple reports of tension, Scaramucci and Priebus insisted that they were friends. Scaramucci described their relationship as brotherly and that it's expected the two men would "rough each other up once in awhile." Many had speculated Priebus would leave the White House after Spicer's resignation. The two worked at the Republican National Committee before joining the Trump administration.

Anthony Scaramucci Ousted July 31 Formerly White House communications director Scaramucci was removed as White House communications director just 10 days after he was appointed and well before his previously scheduled Aug. 15 start date. The bombastic New York financier exited his post shortly after he unloaded on Priebus and then-chief strategist Steve Bannon in an expletive-laden rant to a New Yorker reporter.

Steve Bannon Departed Aug. 18 Formerly White House chief strategist Bannon initially submitted his resignation on Aug. 7, a person close to him told The New York Times. The newspaper said the announcement his departure had been delayed after violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. Bannon, a nationalist firebrand, helped shape Trump's populist rhetoric which fueled his rise to the Oval Office. But in the weeks leading up to his exit, reports surfaced of Bannon's influence waning as the president grew increasingly angry with him.

Tom Price Resigned Sept. 29Formerly Health and Human Services Secretary Price came under fire after Politico reported he used private jets at taxpayer expense, instead of less-expensive commercial flights. Price's exit came after he said he would reimburse taxpayers for a small fraction of the cost of his flights and vowed to not use charter planes in the future. Price was also reportedly on thin ice with top Trump administration officials who felt he did not do enough to support the last-ditch effort in Congress to repeal and replace major ports of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

Dina Powell Set to depart early 2018Deputy national security advisor Powell served under national security advisor H.R. McMaster and was considered a close ally of the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Sanders said in a Dec. 8 statement that Powell had always "planned to serve one year before returning home to New York." The former Goldman Sachs partner appeared set to depart the administration on good terms. Sanders and Kushner both made statements saying Powell would continue to support the administration's Middle East policy, but provided little detail. Powell succeeded K.T. McFarland as deputy national security advisor. Trump nominated McFarland for the role of ambassador to Singapore. Her confirmation process has been held up amid questions about her knowledge of Flynn's conversations with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak.

Omarosa Manigault Newman Resignation effective Jan. 20, 2018Director of communications for Office of Public Liaison Newman handed in her resignation on Dec. 12 in order to pursue other opportunities, Sanders said in a statement. She had been one of the president's highest profile African-American, female supporters.

Andrew McCabe Stepped down Jan. 29FBI deputy director McCabe served briefly as acting director of the FBI , in between James Comey 's ouster and the hiring of current director Christopher Wray. His final year at the agency was fraught with political turmoil — mostly stirred by Trump and his supporters. They have heavily criticized McCabe's handling of the Hillary Clinto n email investigation, suggesting bias due to his wife's failed Virginia Senate bid in 2015. She ran as a Democrat and received nearly $700,000 from Governor Terry McAuliffe, a close Clinton ally. McCabe stepped down immediately on Monday, Jan. 29 , but will remain on the FBI payroll on "terminal leave" until March, when he is eligible to retire with full benefits. — CNBC's Jacob Pramuk, Dan Mangan, Everett Rosenfeld, Marty Steinberg and Kevin Breuninger contributed to this report.

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