“In the midst of a Cabinet shake-up and a possible staff upheaval, President Trump considered firing his chief of staff earlier this month and not naming a successor,” NBC News reports. “Trump has mused to close associates about running the West Wing as he did his business empire, essentially serving as his own chief of staff… In conversations with allies outside the White House, the president envisioned a scenario in which a handful of top aides would report directly to him — bypassing the traditional gatekeeper position.”