Tillerson’s Enigmatic Chief of Staff Wields Power, Not the Spotlight
- Former Hill staffer Peterlin also catches flak for missteps
- Known for leaving Post-it notes with staff to assign tasks
Trump's Top Diplomat Comes With Love From Russia
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One unfamiliar name stood out among the coterie of family and aides President Donald Trump brought into his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican last week: Margaret Peterlin.
The presence of Peterlin -- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s chief of staff -- underscored the former congressional staffer and Mars Inc. lawyer’s growing clout in the administration. Not even Press Secretary Sean Spicer, a practicing Catholic who interacts with Trump almost daily, made it to the Papal audience, which included Tillerson as well as Melania and Ivanka Trump.