Trump flying solo leaves Kelly in the dark

[Balance of Power]( From [Bloomberg Politics]( [FOLLOW US [Facebook Share]]([Twitter Share]( [SUBSCRIBE [Subscribe]](  Donald Trump’s growing tendency to keep only his own counsel has left White House Chief of Staff John Kelly increasingly out in the cold. Kelly — brought on last summer to impose discipline on an unruly West Wing and its commander in chief — wasn’t at the president's side when Trump abruptly decided to oust H.R. McMaster as national security adviser. He’s rarely on the line when Trump phones foreign leaders, such as the call to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin on his re-election. His absence at those two key moments last week highlights his struggles in managing a White House in turmoil, [Jennifer Jacobs writes.]( Kelly’s latest task was delivering bad news yesterday — telling Veterans Affairs Secretary [David Shulkin]( he was being replaced with the president’s physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson. Yet White House aides say that Trump doesn’t seek Kelly’s input on staffing and policy decisions as much as he once did. While there’s no immediate sign the president wants to get rid of his chief of staff, Kelly appears to have little idea what’s coming next from his boss — a man known for snap decisions. - [Kathleen Hunter]( Dear Readers, We're taking a break tomorrow, but do look out for our Weekend Reads edition and we'll be back on Monday. John Kelly. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Global Headlines [Presidential interview]( | Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow seems more open than his predecessor to a possible interview between the president and Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office in its probe of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. As [Shannon Pettypiece]( and [Greg Farrell]( report, White House advisers are continuing their search for another outside attorney after a string of well-known figures turned them down in recent weeks.[Trade wars or skirmishes?]( | As markets brace for Trump to release the list of Chinese products he intends to hit with some $50 billion in tariffs, the administration's relatively minor revisions to the U.S.-South Korea trade deal are [buoying]( hopes for more quick compromises. “Maybe we shouldn’t be too worried,” said Rob Carnell, chief Asia Pacific economist and head of research for ING Bank in Singapore. “Maybe.” And if China retaliates against American soybean imports, U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad [told Bloomberg]( in Beijing, it would backfire. [Seeing red]( | Republicans are presiding over an escalation in U.S. indebtedness after years of railing against widening deficits under Democrats, [Anna Edgerton](, [Allison McCartney]( and [Chloe Whiteaker]( show in a series of graphics. The party’s biggest legislative achievement since Trump took office was a massive tax cut that’s projected to add more than $1 trillion to the federal tab over the next decade, even when accounting for faster economic growth.  [Leakers on trial]( | U.S. prosecutors who sent Wall Street executives to prison for trading on inside information are now taking on consultants in Washington who leak government secrets. [Bob Van Voris]( and [Drew Armstrong]( report that the first-of-its-kind trial is raising questions about just what type of information in D.C. should be considered confidential. What to watch today: * President Emmanuel Macron is rolling out [France’s strategy]( to close an artificial-intelligence gap with the U.S. and China. * With just one year to go until Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May embarks on a [day-long U.K. tour]( to gauge a divided country. [And finally]( ... Kim Jong Un could become the first North Korean leader in history to enter South Korea in just over four weeks, when he steps across the heavily fortified border for a summit with President Moon Jae-in. The two sides agreed on April 27 for the first meeting in 11 years between leaders of the two nations — still technically at war. The visit follows this week’s surprise trip to see Chinese President Xi Jinping. Next up: Donald Trump. The last inter-Korean summit was held in October 2007 between then President Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Jong Il, the father of the current North Korean leader. The pair signed a peace declaration calling for an end to the armistice with a permanent treaty, but progress stalled. Photographer: Pool/Getty Images   Need to know every detail of what's happening in the federal government? Try Bloomberg Government. Delivering rich data, sophisticated tools and breaking news alongside original, in-depth analysis from policy experts, [BGOV helps government relations professionals]( perform at the top of their game.   You received this message because you are subscribed to the Bloomberg Politics newsletter Balance of Power. You can tell your friends to [sign up here](.  [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022