Outgoing White House chief of staff Reince Priebus Reinhold (Reince) Richard PriebusLeaked audio shows Trump touted low Black voter turnout in 2016: report Meadows joins White House facing reelection challenges Trump names Mark Meadows as new chief of staff MORE on Friday said that Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE was the best person to replace him in the senior White House position.

"It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve this President and our country. I want to thank the President for giving me this very special opportunity," Priebus said in a statement.

"I will continue to serve as a strong supporter of the President's agenda and policies. I can't think of a better person than General John Kelly to succeed me and I wish him God's blessings and great success," he added.

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President Trump dismissed Priebus as his chief of staff on Friday, announcing via Twitter following days of speculation that he had chosen Kelly to replace him.

Priebus resigned from his post as White House chief of staff on Thursday, a source told The Hill.

Speaking to reporters after returning from New York to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C., Trump called Priebus a "good man" but called Kelly a "star."

"Reince is a good man," Trump said upon returning from a trip to Long Island to talk about his push to end gang violence.

"John Kelly will do a fantastic job. Gen. Kelly has been a star, done an incredible job thus far, respected by everybody. He's a great American," he added.