Donald Trump’s administration is understaffed and under attack

DONALD TRUMP says he will shut down part of the federal government if Congress does not provide $5 billion for his border-wall by December 21st. He may be bluffing. Meanwhile the president is already cutting the federal workforce, albeit unintentionally. White House reshuffles are usually stage-managed to suggest renewed purpose and vigour. Mr Trump’s latest redo suggests he is running short of competent people willing to work for him.

On December 8 he said his chief of staff, John Kelly, would be out to pasture by the end of the month. The next day his intended replacement, Nick Ayers, a 36-year-old aide to Vice-President Mike Pence, said he would rather go home to Georgia than be Mr Trump’s third chief of staff. Several other mooted replacements for Mr Kelly, who has been serially undermined by Mr Trump and is said to be hardly speaking to him, have also since ruled themselves out.