White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who has been in his new job for only three weeks, is already showing signs of not being able to handle the stress, often acting in emotional ways during staff meetings, according to reports from The New York Times and ABC News.

On least two occasions, Meadows even cried openly during staff meetings, according to the Times:

“Mr. Meadows was discussing staffing changes, according to the people briefed on the events. A White House spokesman declined to comment on either meeting. A person close to Mr. Kushner said he denied that any such episode involving him ever took place.”

ABC was able to confirm the Times report:

“Within days of arriving, Meadows has displayed a wide range of intense emotions, multiple administration sources said, raising questions about his management style and his handling of the unique challenges of the being a gatekeeper for a uniquely unpredictable president. At times Meadows, who is known among colleagues to frequently show emotion, has gone from yelling to crying in front of staffers including the president’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, according to sources. The sources told ABC News in most cases these interactions involved staffing matters.”

None of this should surprise anyone. For decades, it has been reported that Trump the businessman preferred a cutthroat atmosphere inside his corporate headquarters on the 26th floor of Trump Tower, delighting in watching employees compete against each other and preferring chaos to order.

When Meadows was brought onboard to take the place of Mick Mulvaney, many inside the West Wing welcomed the change. Meadows is described as “an adult” and it was hoped he could restore order and decorum to the White House. But based on these two reports, it sounds more like the new chief of staff is wilting under the pressure.

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