US President Donald Trump has announced that retired General John Kelly will be his new chief of staff, replacing Reince Priebus, in a major shake-up of his top team.

Trump announced the move in a series of tweets a day after his new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, accused Priebus of leaking information to reporters in a profanity-laced tirade.

“I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff,” Trump said via Twitter on Friday.

After the announcement, the US president told reporters that “John Kelly will do a fantastic job”.

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Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro, reporting from Washington, DC, said that the announcement “caps off a turbulent and dramatic week of infighting within Trump’s White House communications team in particular”.

Trump had lost confidence in Priebus, privately questioning his competence after major legislative items have failed to pass congress, someone close to Trump told Reuters news agency.

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He had been under fire for weeks, seeing one White House ally after another resign or leave, culminating in the recent departure of press secretary Sean Spicer.

A senior White House official told Reuters news agency that Trump had informed Priebus that he would be replacing him two weeks ago.

Trump thanked Priebus for “his service and dedication” to the country.

Trump did not make clear his plans for filling the secretary of homeland security position.

Kelly has been serving as homeland security secretary under the Trump administration.

A retired general, Kelly served as commander of the US Southern Command in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

‘Changing of guards’

Al Jazeera’s Zhou-Castro said that the removal of Priebus was long expected and that the move boils down to a “final changing of guards, perhaps, among the White House staff”.

“Trump had long campaigned against the Republican establishment and Reince Priebus – who was the former chair of the Republican National Committee and was still very close with House Speaker Paul Ryan – represented the last remnants of that establishment in the White House.”

Zhou-cCastro said it was also significant that Scaramucci  – a billionare businessman with no government experience – came in as director of communications last week and also replaced a former establishment figure in Sean Spicer.

“Again, it’s Trump moving more towards the direction of bringing in these political newcomers to lead his team,” she said.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies