Graphic Truth: High Turnover in the White House

Whether Energy Secretary Rick Perry resigns or – it now seems – not, the Trump White House has already seen the highest turnover of any recent administration. To date, six people have served as White House communications director and there have been three chiefs of staff. Since President Trump took office less than three years ago, the rate of replacement for principal positions – designated the "A-Team" by the Brookings Institution – is 78 percent, higher than the five most recent presidents over their respective four-year terms. Based on the methodology outlined by the National Journal's "Decision Makers" series between 1981-2009 – and continued by Brookings – the first chart reflects turnover among the most influential positions within the Executive Office of the President. It doesn't include cabinet secretaries, which are reflected in the second chart. Here's a look at the numbers from the days of Reagan until today.

More from GZERO Media

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to the media at the US Capitol in Washington, April 17, 2024.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced plans to move forward with a vote on several foreign aid bills, defying hardline Republicans and potentially sparking a vote to oust him.

World Bank economist: The poorest are getting poorer globally | Global Stage

The combined shocks of multiple crises, including the pandemic, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, food insecurity, and inflation, have taken a massive toll on the 75 least developed economies, according to World Bank Group’s Deputy Chief Economist Ayhan Kose.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party's parliamentary faction, is punched in the face by opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili during discussion of the bill on "foreign agents" in the Parliament, Tbilisi, Georgia, April 15, 2024 in this still image taken from a live broadcast video.
Parliament of Georgia/Handout via REUTERS

Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, on Wednesday advanced a controversial “foreign agents” bill that rights groups say could be used to stifle civil society and silence political opponents.

People gather as they watch from afar after an alleged gang member was killed and set on fire, amid an escalation in gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti March 20, 2024.
REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

The international community is struggling to address half a dozen conflicts, spanning from the Middle East to Haiti, that often involve institutions poorly equipped to tackle modern problems.

Members of the Sudanese Armed Forces gather on the street, almost one year into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in Omdurman, Sudan, April 7, 2024
REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig

It’s been a year since tensions between the army and a major paramilitary group plunged the vast East African country into civil war. With much of the world looking elsewhere, there is little prospect for peace.

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks at United Steel Workers headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, April 17, 2024.
REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

President Joe Biden used a meeting in Pennsylvania with United Steel Workers on Wednesday to call for a tripling of steel tariffs on China.

Leaders of Israel and Iran in front of fighter jets.
Jess Frampton

On April 13, Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its own territory in its first-ever direct, attributable attack against Israel, thrusting the long-simmering shadow war between the two regional foes into the light.

Bharatiya Janata Party supporters hold party flags while waiting for Narendra Modi's road show during an election campaign in Guwahati, Assam, India, on April 16, 2024.
David Talukdar/NurPhoto via Reuters

The world’s most populous country will hold elections between April 19 and 1 June for its lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of the world’s most popular heads of state, is expected to lead his Bharatiya Janata Party to a comfortable victory and secure a third consecutive term in office. We sat down with Eurasia Group experts Rahul Bhatia and Pramit Pal Chaudhuri to learn more about the upcoming elections.