Inside and outside the White House, advisers and friends are also engaging in quiet, informal conversations about when it makes sense for embattled Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to step aside -- and who his replacement should be. Some of Priebus's most senior colleagues speak ill of his leadership abilities, with one tagging him "the most imperiled person here," although others insist Priebus is in solid standing with the president.

Some in the White House fret over what they view as the president's fits of rage, and Trump's longtime friends say his mood has been more sour than at any point since they have known him.