It's going to be the Trump and Pelosi show

I can see a mighty war between Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi. This woman has the necessary fighting spirit to take on the president. She's a tough cookie and judging by her verbal confrontation with Trump in the Oval Office yesterday, she looks like she is going to enjoy the battle. Reading the reports of remarks she made later to her fellow Democrats it is clear she can't stand Trump, making a withering comment about his wall obsession, saying it was a "manhood" thing. Trump is going to find it increasingly difficult to be nice to Pelosi. When her name went to the top of the list for Speaker, the president actually said he would help her and looked forward to working with her to get laws passed in the House. That hint of cooperation has now gone out of the window. I bet Trump goes to bed at night swearing blue murder about "that woman". This rapidly deteriorating relationship between Trump and the next Speaker of the House - assuming she gets the votes she needs - bodes ill for the president's next chief of staff. Whoever it is, replacing the tired-looking General John Kelly at the end of this month, he or she will have the task of dealing with Congress and making sweet music with Pelosi. The chief of staff job for a man like Trump has always been the toughest in Washington but with Pelosi and the Democrats taking control of the House next month, it will be even more nightmarish a role. No wonder Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, turned it down and said he wanted to go back to Georgia where he comes from. The next man or woman for the job should have a long chat with General Kelly. He looks truly beat up. Trying to mastermind a president who is as unpredictable as a bull elephant in a china shop has put years on him. But Nikki Haley, outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations, who both survived and flourished under Trump's tutelage, has pointed out in a TV interview that the president's unpredictability actually worked in her favour when she was dealing with her counterparts at the UN. She may be right. Unpredictability in this dangerous world can be a strong deterrent and keeps opponents on their toes. But there will be nothing unpredictable about the relationship between Trump and Pelosi. If Trump shouts at her she will give the same back. The next chief of staff will just have to put his hands over his ears.