Mike Pence's top aides to depart White House after year of high-profile exits

Adds to an exodus of aides from the Trump White House

Mike Pence speaks to troops in a hangar at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan (REUTERS/Mandel Ngan/Pool)

Top aides to Vice President Mike Pence are reportedly leaving, continuing the staff turnover that has seen the Trump administration churn through high-level aides.

According to CNN, Mr Pence’s chief counsel and domestic policy adviser are both leaving the Vice President’s office, moves that follow the departure of his erstwhile chief of staff and press secretary.

The staffing changes continue a pattern for the Trump administration, which has seen an unusual number of aides depart a chaotic White House that has been labouring under the cloud of Robert Mueller’s investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

While it is typical to have some level of turnover over the course of a President’s tenure, it is unusual to have numerous people depart in the first year.

Other prominent aides who did not survive a full year of the Trump presidency include former adviser Steve Bannon, former press secretary Sean Spicer, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci.

The White House has this week sought to distance the administration and Donald Trump from Mr Bannon, a campaign architect and former top adviser, who exited the White House in August and is quoted in a new book disparaging Mr Trump’s family and calling a meeting between campaign officials and a Russian emissary “treasonous”.

A statement from Mr Trump excoriating Mr Bannon seemed to dissolve their remaining ties, and influential conservative donor Rebekah Mercer renounced Mr Bannon in a rare public statement.