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A timeline of the resignations and firings of top government officials during President Donald Trump's administration.

President Donald Trump called July 31 a "great day" at the White House.

The characterization clashed with news headlines of internal upheaval: July 31 was the 10th and final day of Anthony Scaramuccis tenure as communications director and John Kellys first day as chief of staff after the forced departure of Reince Priebus.

In the past six months, the Trump administration has seen the firing or resignation of its chief of staff, communications director, press secretary, FBI director, ethics director, national security adviser and more.

Pundits and members of the media have remarked on the "chaotic" turnover.

But is the Trump turnover as rapid as it seems?

We compared the length of service of the most high-profile departed Trump staffers to people in the same role in the administrations of President Barack Obama and President George W Bush.

In context, the speed of Trumps hires and fires have been surprising, but not unprecedented across the board.

Chief of Staff

Bushs first: 1,911 days

Obamas first: 620 days

Trumps first: 189 days

Priebus was in fact the shortest-serving chief of staff in history. He served for 189 days, while the second-shortest stint (Kenneth Duberstein under Ronald Reagan) lasted 203 days.

Pete Rouse served for only 104 days as interim chief of staff for Obama in 2010 after his first chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, left to run for Chicago mayor. But Priebus wasnt in an interim role.

Communications director

Bushs first: 256 days

Obamas first: 92 days

Trumps first: 134 days

The communications director is the newest role on this list, created in 1969 by the Nixon administration. The first director was Herbert Klein, who lasted the longest in office. He was tasked with dealing with the Watergate scandal that eventually led to Nixons impeachment.

Trump has gone through three communications directors so far, with Scaramucci serving the shortest period as the second person named to the role.

His 10 days as communications director (he was not officially supposed to start until Aug. 15th) almost beat out Jack Koehler for shortest tenure. Koehler worked in the Ronald Reagan administration and stepped down after a week on the job, when news broke that he once belonged to a Nazi youth group.

Trumps first communications director was Republican operative Michael Dubke. He was on the job for 134 days. Press Secretary Sean Spicer took on his responsibilities for 53 days until Scaramucci came along, at which point he resigned.

There have been other brief tenures in the position in the recent past.

Ellen Moran served for 92 days at the start of the Obama administration, after which she became chief of staff for Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

George Stephanopoulos, under the Clinton administration, served for 138 days. George W. Bushs first communications director, Karen Hughes, lasted just over eight months.

Press secretary

Bushs first: 906 days

Obamas first: 753 days

Trumps first: 182 days

Spicer, Trumps first press secretary, lasted 182 days.

There have been shorter tenures. Jerald Franklin terHorst was in office for one month at the start of Gerald Fords presidency and acting press secretary Stephen Early served for 13 days under President Harry Truman.

In more recent history, Bushs first press secretary, Ari Fleischer, lasted over two and a half years. Obamas Robert Gibbs worked in the role just over two years.

National Security Adviser

Michael Flynn set another record for shortest tenure as national security adviser, a position established in 1953 amid the Cold War.

Flynn was on the job for 24 days before he resigned (Feb. 13); the average is 2.6 years, according to the Washington Post.

Flynn acknowledged in his resignation that he misled Vice President Mike Pence and others about illegal conversations with a Russian official.

Stephen Hadley lasted four years as Bushs first national security adviser and Thomas Donilon lasted for two years and eight months under Obama.

FBI director

Former FBI director James Comey wasnt the shortest-serving FBI director in history, but his tenure is on the shorter end at three years and eight months. He is the second FBI director ever to be fired.

The last and only other time this happened was when Clinton fired William Sessions after he refused to step down amid ethical concerns in 1993.

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How does Trump White House turnover compare to Bush, Obama? - PolitiFact

Former President Obama and those close to him are reportedly encouraging former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick to run for president in 2020.

According to a recent Politico report, Obama, a close friend of Patrick, "counts him among the very small group of people whom he thinks has actual political talenthas privately encouraged him to think about it, among others."

Inner circle supporters are also said to include campaign strategist David Axelrod, adviser Valerie Jarrett, and David Simas, who has worked under both Obama and Patrick.

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Deval Patrick through the years

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Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick (R) and U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) shake hands at the start of a news conference in Boston, Massachusetts, October 21, 2006. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES)

Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick (R) watches as U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) fields questions from reporters at a news conference in Boston, Massachusetts, October 21, 2006. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES)

Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick (L) fields a question as U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) looks on during a news conference in Boston, Massachusetts, October 21, 2006. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES)

Democrat Deval Patrick (L) raises his arm with his Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray after winning the election to become the next Governor of the State of Massachusetts at a rally in Boston, Massachusetts November 7, 2006. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES)

Democrat Deval Patrick shakes hands with supporters after winning the election to become the next Governor of the State of Massachusetts at a rally in Boston, Massachusetts November 7, 2006. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES)

Democrat Deval Patrick pumps his fist while giving a speech after winning the election to become the next Governor of the State of Massachusetts at a rally in Boston, Massachusetts November 7, 2006. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES)

Democrat Deval Patrick raises his arms and looks up as confetti falls after winning the election to become the next Governor of the State of Massachusetts at a rally in Boston, Massachusetts November 7, 2006. REUTERS/Adam Hunger (UNITED STATES)

PATRICK DEVAL, UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (Photo by Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma via Getty Images)

BOSTON - DECEMBER 14: Democratic candidate for governor Deval Patrick speaks to the press at the State House about Gov. Romney's announcement. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 3: Sen. Barack Obama (L) and candidate for Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick (R) at a rally at the Reggie Lewis Center, Friday, November 3, 2006. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty images)

LOWELL, MA - NOVEMBER 5: Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick speaks at a rally at Lowell High School November 5, 2006 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Patrick reportedly holds a double digit lead against rival Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, and if elected would be the first African-American governor of Massachusetts and only the sesond in the history of the United States. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

LOWELL, MA - NOVEMBER 5: Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick speaks at a rally at Lowell High School November 5, 2006 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Patrick reportedly holds a double digit lead against rival Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, and if elected would be the first African-American governor of Massachusetts and only the sesond in the history of the United States. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

BOSTON - JUNE 1: Mass. Gubernatorial Candidate Deval Patrick makes his entrance during a rally at the Hynes Convention Center, Thursday, June 1, 2006. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: Former president Bill Clinton, left, was on stage with democratic candidate for Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, right. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - JUNE 1: From left to right: U.S. Sen. Barack Obama at a press availability for Mass. Gubernatorial Candidate Deval Patrick at the Hynes Convention Center, Thursday, June 1, 2006. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - SEPTEMBER 22: Gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick, center, and Sen. John Kerry, during a science round table discussion at UMass Boston, Friday, Sept. 22, 2006. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - SEPTEMBER 25: Deval Patrick, center , had the support of the Democratic party in full force at the Park Plaza Hotel. From left to right: running mate Tim Murray, Mayor of Worcester, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and Sen. John Kerry, Congressman Edward Markey, Congressman Jim McGovern, spoke with him at a press conference on Monday, Sept. 25, 2006. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - SEPTEMBER 22: From left to right: gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick and Sen. John Kerry, speaks to the press after a science round table discussion at UMass Boston, Friday, Sept. 22, 2006. (Photo by Evan Richman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: Former president Bill Clinton, left, was on stage with democratic candidate for Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, right. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: Former president Bill Clinton was on stage with democratic candidate for governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick, and they shared a big hug as they came on stage. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

LOWELL, MA - NOVEMBER 5: Massachusetts Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick shakes hands with supporters following a rally at Lowell High School November 5, 2006 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Patrick holds reportedly a double digit lead against rival Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, and if elected would be the first African-American governor of Massachusetts and only the sesond in the history of the United States. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 23: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (MA-D) (L) looks on as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks to an enthusiastic crowd of thousands at Boston Common October 23, 2007 in Boston, Massachusetts. Patrick, the only African-American governor in the nation, announced his support for Obama in an email to supporters earlier this week. (Photo by Robert Spencer/Getty Images)

BOSTON - FEBRUARY 4: Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama appeared at the Seaport World Trade Center Monday evening. He was cheered on by Caroline Kennedy, Gov. Deval Patrick, and Sen. John Kerry. (Photo by Justine Hunt/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

WALTHAM, MA - MARCH 28: Gov. Deval Patrick attends the inauguration of Gloria Cordes Larson, the seventh president of Bentley College, on Friday, March 28, 2008. He gave greetings, representing the public service community. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - APRIL 15: Gov. Deval Patrick makes a good catch. Fish Stock, State Wildlife Officials and Boston school children ushered in the spring fishing season releasing 700 state hatchery-raised trout and some salmon into the shallows of Jamaica Pond. (Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

MASHPEE, MA - AUGUST 25: Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, Gov. Deval Patrick, and U.S. Sen. John Kerry attend funeral services for Army Private First Class Paul Conlon at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008. Conlon was killed in Afghanistan. (Photo by Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - MAY 10: Governor Deval Patrick helps Wendy Perez of the South End fill out a voter registration application outside Back Bay Station in Boston, Saturday, May 10, 2008. Today marks the kick-off of 'Vote for Change' registration drive by Obama supporters across the nation. (Photo by Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - SEPTEMBER 23: Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during the grand re-opening of the Fields Corner MBTA Station. (Photo by David Kamerman/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - JANUARY 19: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick applauds as President-elect Barack Obama arrives to introduce his former political rival Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) at a bipartisan dinner in the National Building Museum on January 19, 2009 in Washington, DC. Inaugural events continue throughout the city before President-elect Barack Obama is to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States on January 20, 2009. (Photo by Joshua Roberts-Pool/Getty Images)

NORTON, MA - MAY 16: During the 174th Commencement of Wheaton College, Gov. Deval Patrick addresses the graduates after he was awarded a Doctor of Laws honorary degree by college president Ronald Crutcher. Patrick is also scheduled to deliver the commencement addresses at Bridgwater State College Saturday afternoon and Tufts University Sunday morning. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

CAMBRIDGE, MA - JUNE 4: At MIT's graduation, MIT president Susan Hockfield, with Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, who gave the address, before the opening ceremony. (Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - AUGUST 31: Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts, speaks during a news conference at the statehouse in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 31, 2009. Patrick said he will work with state lawmakers to allow appointment of a temporary replacement for the late Senator Edward Kennedy before a Jan. 19 special election to choose someone to serve out his term. (Photo by Michael Springer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 24: Massachusetts Democratic Governor Deval Patrick (C) speaks as U.S. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) (L) and Interim Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. (D-MA) look on at a press conference on September 24, 2009 at the Statehouse in Boston, Massachusetts. Kirk, the former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman, will take over Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's seat that was left vacated from his passing on August 25. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

BOSTON - DECEMBER 9: Gov. Deval Patrick raises the arm of the Democratic nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat Martha Coakley, during a Democratic unity event at the Omni Parker House. Steve Pagliuca and Alan Khazei are in the background. (Photo by Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama (C) arrives to speak at a fundraising rally for Governor Deval Patrick (R) at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 23, 2009. on left is Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama (C) arrives to speak at a fundraising rally for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (R) at the Westin Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 23, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

MEET THE PRESS -- Airdate 12/27/09 --Pictured: Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) left, and Fmr. Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA) right, appear on 'Meet the Press' in a pre taped interview in Washington, D.C., Wednesday December 23, 2009. (Photo by William B. Plowman/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

BOSTON - APRIL 10: Gov. Deval Patrick, left, and running mate Tim Murray applaud their supporters from the stage at the gym at English High School, where Patrick made a Boston appearance to start of his 2010 campaign for reelection. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - FEBRUARY 22: (L-R) Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, New York Governor David Patterson, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, and others walk out of the White House after meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on February 22, 2010 in Washington, DC. The nation's governors are in town for the annual National Governors Association meeting (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

BOSTON - JUNE 30: Governor Deval Patrick signed the Fiscal Year 2011 state budget. On his right is Jay Gonzalez, the governor's secretary of administration and finance. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama (R) greets Democratic Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts (L) after speaking at a rally for Patrick at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, October 16, 2010. Obama supported Patrick's race for another term as governor ahead of the midterm elections on November 2. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama (R) greets Democratic Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts (L) after speaking at a rally for Patrick at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, October 16, 2010. Obama supported Patrick's race for another term as governor ahead of the midterm elections on November 2. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama waves to the crowd after speaking at a rally for Democratic Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts (R) at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, October 16, 2010. Obama supported Patrick's race for another term as governor ahead of the midterm elections on November 2. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama waves alongside Democratic Governor Deval Patrick (L) of Massachusetts after speaking at a rally for Patrick at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, October 16, 2010. Obama supported Patrick's race for another term as governor ahead of the midterm elections on November 2. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: During a campaign rally and visit by President Barack Obama at the Hynes Convention Center, Gov Deval Patrick (left) waves with President Obama.(Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Democratic Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts and his wife, Diane, arrive for a speech by US President Barack Obama at a rally for Patrick at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts, October 16, 2010. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 16: During a campaign rally and visit by President Barack Obama at the Hynes Convention Center, Governor Deval Patrick (left) listens to the president. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

FRAMINGHAM, MA - OCTOBER 24: Governor Deval Patrick joined Congressman Edward Markey outside of the town hall for a rally. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - JANUARY 6: Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray listens as Governor Deval Patrick makes his speech after being sworn-in to his second term as Governor of Massachusetts in the House of Representatives at the State House during his inauguration. (Photo by Bill Greene/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - JANUARY 19: Governor Deval Patrick (left) applauds Steve Grossman as he was introduced in the House Chamber at the start of a formal swearing-in ceremony which made him the 59th treausurer of Massachusetts. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama makes his way to the lectern after his introduction by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick during a DNC fundraiser at the Boston Center for the Arts May 18, 2011. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 8: The inaugural groundbreaking ceremonies where held for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for The United States Senate in Dorchester. Left to right are University of Massachusetts President Jack Wilson, Mrs. Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Paul G. Kirk, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and the Mayor of Boston, Thomas M. Menino. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick introduces US President Barack Obama at a DNC fundraiser at the Boston Center for the Arts May 18, 2011. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

BOSTON - MAY 18: Gov. Deval Patrick introduces US President Barack Obama to the crowd as he makes a fundraiser stop in Boston, at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts on May 18, 2011. (Photo by Essdras M Suarez/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts, right, and his wife Diane Patrick sit for a photograph at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, U.S., on Friday, July 8, 2011. Tanglewood is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. Photographer: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

BOSTON - NOVEMBER 1: Robert L. Caret, left, was inaugurated as the 26th president of UMass, during a ceremony at the JFK Library and Museum. He shakes hands with Gov. Deval Patrick. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

MARSHFIELD - JUNE 6: State Trooper Ellen E. Engelhardt, who was hit by a drunk driver in 2003 and left in a permanent vegetative state, died this month. Her funeral was held at Saint Christine's Catholic Church. Governor Deval Patrick, greeted the late trooper's grandson Dylan Greeley, 6, after the funeral. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

MALDEN, MA - FEBRUARY 15: After reading to a kindergarten class, Governor Deval Patrick sits in on a P.A.C.E. class (Practical Academic Community Education) led by music therapist Laura Micheli. The special education class rocks to 'Shake Uh-Huh.' Patrick visits the Linden School in Malden, on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012. He announced $281,000 in grants to 29 potential Innovation Schools. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

SOMERVILLE, MA - MAY 30: After walking in together, U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren, right, and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick speak to a crowd of supporters. U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is endorsed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick at her campaign offices in Somerville, Mass. on Wednesday, May 30, 2012. (Photo by Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick speaks at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 4, 2012 on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). The DNC is expected to nominate US President Barack Obama to run for a second term as president. AFP PHOTO Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/GettyImages)

CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 04: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during day one of the Democratic National Convention at Time Warner Cable Arena on September 4, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The DNC that will run through September 7, will nominate U.S. President Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

BOSTON - SEPTEMBER 10: Cutting the ribbon is Governor Deval Patrick who was helped by Azzie Young,on the right, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mattapan Community Health Center at the Mattapan Community Health Center Grand Opening. (Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 06: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick attends Elizabeth Warren's Campaign Election Night event at Fairmont Copley Plaza on November 6, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/WireImage)

BOSTON - JANUARY 16: Gov. Deval Patrick delivers his annual State of the Commonwealth address in the House Chambers. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

FRAMINGHAM, MA - FEBRUARY 8: Gov. Deval Patrick declares a state of emergency and driving ban at MEMA headquarters (The Bunker). (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - APRIL 4: Gov. Patrick made his way from his office to the press conference. To his left was Richard A. Davey, Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick holds a press conference regarding transportation at the State House in Boston, Mass. on Thursday, April 4, 2013. (Photo by Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - APRIL 18: President Barack Obama came to Boston to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross for an interfaith healing service for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. He sits in the front row with his wife, Michelle Obama, and Gov. Deval Patrick, right. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 18: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks at an interfaith prayer service for victims of the Boston Marathon attack titled 'Healing Our City,' at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on April 18, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. Authorities investigating the attack on the Boston Marathon have shifted their focus to locating the person who placed a black bag down and walked away just before the bombs went off. The twin bombings at the 116-year-old Boston race, which occurred near the marathon finish line, resulted in the deaths of three people and more than 170 others injured. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

WATERTOWN, MA - APRIL 19: Gov. Deval Patrick speaks with Mayor Thomas Menino at his side during a press conference at Watertown Mall among other officials during the ongoing manhunt for a suspect in the terrorist bombing of the 117th Boston Marathon earlier this week. Watertown is on lockdown following a chase and shootout in the area last night. (Photo by Essdras M Suarez/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Governor Deval Patrick, of Massachusetts, applauds after the singing of the National Anthem during a pre-game ceremony in honor of the bombings of Marathon Monday before a game at Fenway Park on April 20, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

BOSTON - APRIL 26: Gov. Deval Patrick speaks at the State House while honoring state officials and cabinet members for their response to the Boston Marathon bombing. (Photo by Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - MAY 14: British Prime Minister David Cameron, accompanied by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, visited the Boston Marathon bombing memorial in Copley Square. (Photo by David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

HUDSON, MA - JUNE 14: Gov. Deval Patrick stands with US Senator Elizabeth Warren, as the service lets out. A funeral Mass was held at Saint Michael Church in Hudson, Mass., for former Governor Paul Cellucci, June 14, 2013. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - JUNE 8: In Copley Square, Gov. Deval Patrick and Angela Menino cut the ribbon for the start of the parade. The annual Boston Pride Parade took place on June 8, 2013. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

LOWELL, MA - JULY 13: Governor Deval Patrick speaks during the 2013 Massachusetts Democratic Party Platform Convention held at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. (Photo by Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - OCTOBER 30: U.S. President Barack Obama, center, looked at the press while walking with Governor Deval Patrick, left, and Bill Russell, right, after viewing a statue in honor of Bill Russell. President Obama stopped for a private viewing of a statue for basketball hall of fame player Bill Russell at City Hall Plaza with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick before heading to Faneuil Hall to bolster support for his national health care law in Boston, Mass. on Wednesday, October 30, 2013. (Photo by Yoon S. Byun/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 01: (L-R) Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Bill Russell attend the unveiling of the statue in honor of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell by artist Ann Hirsch at Boston City Hall Plaza on November 1, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

BOSTON - NOVEMBER 4: Gov. Deval Patrick is the first of five to light the Diwali diya at the State House, on Monday, Nov. 4, 2013. The ceremony is held by the South Asian Arts Council. Standing from left are State Treasurer Steve Grossman and MassMutual executive vice president Mike Fanning. (Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick (L), of the US shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prior to their talks at Abe's office in Tokyo on December 11, 2013. Patrick is visiting with his economy mission members as part of his Asian tour. AFP PHOTO / POOL / Yoshikazu TSUNO (Photo credit should read YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images)

BOSTON - JANUARY 6: Left to right, Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Gov. Deval Patrick, Michael Joseph Donovan, Suffolk County Clerk of the Civil Court, and Roderick L. Irelend, Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice applaud at the inauguration ceremony for Mayor-elect Marty Walsh at Boston College's Conte Forum on January 6, 2014. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama looks over the lunch menu at Cafe Beauregard in New Britain, Connecticut, March 5, 2014, alongside Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy (2nd R), Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin (2nd L) and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (L). AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

BOSTON - JANUARY 28: Gov. Deval Patrick delivers his eighth State of the Commonwealth speech after a week's delay due to snow. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - MARCH 5: President Barack Obama arrives at Logan Airport with Governor Deval Patrick as they depart Air Force One in Boston, Mass. on March 5, 2014. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

BOSTON - MARCH 5: President Barak Obama arrives at Logan Airport with Governor Deval Patrick as they depart Air Force One in Boston, Mass. on March 5, 2014. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

CAMBRIDGE, MA - MARCH 13: Officials unveil extended MBTA service at Kendall T station in Cambridge in hopes to encourage safe and vibrant late-night culture. Left to right, Mayor Martin Walsh, Governor Deval Patrick speaks, State Transportation Secretary Richard A. Davey, and mascots Red Sox's Wally and the Charlie Card mascot .(Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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As one former White House source told Politico, "If you were to poll 100 notable Obama alumni, the only two people who would win that 2020 straw poll right now are [Joe] Biden and Patrick."

While the former vice president is often listed as a top contender in the next presidential race, Patrick appears to face a more uphill battle.

In a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll from late December, more than half the Democrats and Independents who were surveyed had never heard of Patrick, but, of those who had, "10% would be excited; 15% against the idea."

RELATED: People who might run against Trump in 2020

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Obama and allies reportedly encouraging ex-Governor Deval ...

(CNN) - Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill said Tuesday that police officers across the country should be required to wear body cameras in order for their departments to qualify for federal funds.

McCaskill believes that the ubiquity of cameras gives way to incidents in which only part of the story is recorded, seen or understood. So, a body camera on every officer will not only protect citizens against police misconduct, but also protect officers from wrongful accusations.

"Everywhere I go people now have cameras," said McCaskill, a Democrat. "And police officers are now at a disadvantage, because someone can tape the last part of an encounter and not tape the first part of the encounter. And it gives the impression that the police officer has overreacted when they haven't."

McCaskill made the comments at an event in Springfield, Missouri, where she answered questions about the shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, CNN affiliate KOLR reported.

In the wake of the shooting and community outrage to the response from Ferguson police, McCaskill has called for congressional hearings to examine a Defense Department program that allows local police departments to acquire military weaponry.

Already, President Barack Obama has called for a review of programs that allow for the transfer of military weapons to the police.

Section 1208 in the National Defense Authorization Act has allowed the Defense Department to grant military hardware to local law enforcement since 1990. A law enforcement support program, the military's Defense Logistics Agency, was established in 1999 to facilitate law enforcement militarization.

McCaskill said Thursday she hopes the Senate will embrace her body camera proposal and that it will eventually become law.

"I would like to see us say, 'If you want federal funding in your community, you've got to have body cams on your officers,'" she said. "And I think that would go a long way towards solving some of these problems, and it would be a great legacy over this tragedy that's occurred in Ferguson, regardless of what the facts say at the end as to whether or not anyone is criminally culpable."

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President Obama CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

The former president (well, actually his office) continues to respond to wedding invitations -- even though he's left the White House. Apparently mail forwarding is one government function that has avoided the DC gridlock.

Yes, it's only a form letter. But these recipients aren't going to let that dim their excitement.

Earlier this week, Brooke Allen tweeted a photo of a response her mother, Liz Whitlow, just received from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama to say congratulations on her wedding.

Soon, others started sharing photos of similar responses they received. It turns out Obama's office responded to wedding invitations throughout his eight years in office.

Chelsea Roden and her wife, Lisa, sent then-President Obama a handwritten invitation to their wedding in 2016.

"I was really grateful for the work his administration did," Roden told CNN. "When we first started dating in 2011, same-sex marriage wasn't even on the table."

She completely forgot about the invitation she mailed to the White House until she got a response back one month before her wedding.

It read: "Congratulations on your wedding day. May this special time be blessed with love, laughter, and happiness. We wish you all the best as you embark on your journey together, and we hope your bond grows stronger with each passing year."

When Carmen Alvarez-Mendoza got married in 2014, she invited the Obamas as well as Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres. She told CNN she was pleasantly surprised when POTUS and FLOTUS actually responded.

And for all the single ladies out there, it's not just wedding invitations that get an Obama response.

Aubree Spath mailed her high school graduation announcement to the White House and got a lengthy reply.

"It's somewhat magical reading the letter and thinking Obama's proud of you," Spath told CNN. "It really did put the cherry on top of my senior year."

New mom Rachel Newsom sent the Obamas a birth announcement for her daughter, Harlem, in October and got a response welcoming the baby to the world.

Newsom said she wanted to send the announcement before Obama left office. "I was nervous that I might not get a response from the Obama administration," she said. "I wondered if I had waited too late."

It seems that Obama plans to keep up the tradition even though he no longer has the White House letterhead.

Today the former President turns 56.

Go ahead and send him a birthday card and see if he responds.

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Even in retirement, Obama still responds to strangers' wedding invitations - CNN

The U.S. Justice Department has significantly ramped up its number of leak investigations, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Friday, more than tripling themcompared with the past three years numbers combined.

Thestatement likely came much to the glee of President Donald Trump. But it was his predecessor, Barack Obama, who charted a course for Trump when it came to leak crackdowns.

Perhaps answering his bosss cries for investigations, Sessions said that at least four people, three of whose cases had not been reported on as of Friday, have already been charged with unlawfully disclosing classified material or with concealing contacts with foreign intelligence officers. He also said the Justice Departmenthad seen a boom in criminal referrals for probes into intelligence agency leaks.

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Referrals for investigations of classified leaks to the Department of Justice from our intelligence agencies have exploded, Sessions said. In the first six months of this administration, DOJ has already received nearly as many criminal referrals involving unauthorized disclosures of classified information as we received in the last three years combined.

To date, only Reality Winner, a 25-year-old federal government contractor accused ofleaking classified information to The Intercept, is known to be facing prosecution. Her trial is set to begin in October.

Sessionss DOJ still has to play catch-up to reach the number of leak investigations from Obamas time.

DOJ prosecutors under the Obama administration pursued nine leak cases, and in May 2013 it was disclosed that federal investigators had surreptitiously seized two months worth of phones records from Associated Press reporters and editors, including home phones and cellphones, The New York Times reported.

Later in 2013, a scathing report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)said the Obama administrations war on leaks had been the worst of its kind since the days of Richard Nixon, who engaged in a cover-up that eventually led to his resignation in 1974.

At the time of the CPJs report, Obamas team had used the Espionage Act, passed in 1917, to kick-start eight prosecutions involving allegations of leakedclassified information, including those against Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden. Manning was later granted clemency by Obama, before he left office earlier this year, while Snowden remains in exile in Russia.

Though CPJs report did show that the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington set off a major expansion of information deemed to be classifiedstarting with the administration of President George W. BushObamas eight prosecutions far outranked the three Espionage Act prosecutions under every other president before him.

In May 2016, Obama said that many of the cases prosecuted during his time in office actually were holdovers, but according to Politico that proved to be untrue.

Many of the cases that are often lumped into, you know, my ledger, essentially were cases that were brought before we came into office, Obama said to a college newspaper. Some of them are serious, where you had purposeful leaks of information that could harm or threaten operations or individuals who were in the field involved with really sensitive national security issues.

Politico found that of the eight cases, three were from the Bush administration that preceded Obama.

One of those cases involved New York Times reporters James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, who in 2005 revealed the National Security Agencys domestic and clandestine surveillance program. Risen also wrote about a CIA operation to disrupt Irans nuclear program in a book published in 2006. Under Obama, the DOJ and Attorney General Eric Holder attempted to force Risen to testify and reveal his source of the classified information.

In December, Risen penned an op-ed forthe Times,and its closing paragraph now seems almost prophetic: Press freedom advocates already fear that under Senator Jeff Sessions, Mr. Trumps choice to be attorney general, the Justice Department will pursue journalists and their sources at least as aggressively as Mr. Obama did.

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Obama's 'War on Leakers' Was More Aggressive Than Trump's So Far - Newsweek