The Georgian who turned down President Trump’s offer to become chief of staff will have plenty of options when he returns to Georgia, a friend of Nick Ayers said Monday.
"What we do know is, wherever he has gone, he has won," said Brian Robinson, a GOP operative who is long acquainted with Ayers. Robinson said he exchanged texts with Ayers Sunday as news broke that Ayers had nixed the West Wing job.
Ayers' Twitter page is filled with photos of him with Vice President Mike Pence, whom Ayers has served as his chief of staff for two years. The Twitter page also shows images of his Jamie and their six year old triplets.
Ayers has had his hands full – and turned away the chance to get them even fuller by declining to become the president’s chief of staff. "When you become chief of staff, in many ways, you sacrifice your family," Robinson said.
"What doesn’t surprise me is over the last two years, every time I’ve talked to Nick, it is often said 'I miss Georgia. And my wife misses Georgia.'"
Our efforts to reach Ayers were unsuccessful.
Ayers got his start in 2002, helping Sonny Perdue with his upset win in the governor’s race. Ayers has disclosed that he’s made millions since then as a political consultant. And Robinson thinks Ayers will find plenty of political work to do in Georgia. Senator David Perdue faces re-election in 2020. Senator Johnny Isakson’s term ends two years later, as will that of soon-to-be Governor Brian Kemp.
"He’s coming home but Nick is not leaving the Trump orbit. He’s still going to be running the Trump superpac, leading into the 2020 election," Robinson said, "which will be hard fought, no doubt about it."
And if he prints a resume, Nick Ayers can put an unusual entry on it: I turned down the job of White House Chief of Staff. Not many people can say that.