Politico has some reporting on the organizational difficulties facing the Trump White House. Deep in the story, a former administration official explains that “Chris Liddell is not a policy guy,” and that he is also “not really a Washington guy.” There are some jobs where these limitations could be overcome easily —Starbucks barista, circus clown, corporate executive (Lidell’s former job), or working in a location far away from Washington, like New Zealand (Lidell’s home country).
Unfortunately, Lidell now works in Washington, and his current position is deputy chief of staff for policy. That is a job where you really want somebody who’s comfortable working in Washington and who wouldn’t be described by a former colleague as “not a policy guy.”
