Washington, Dec 15 (IANS): US President Donald Trump on Friday named budget director Mick Mulvaney as acting chief of staff, a week after he announced John Kelly's scheduled departure.

"I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction," said Trump in a tweet, Xinhua reported.

The president added that he looked forward to working with Mulvaney in the latter's new capacity, and that Kelly will stay until the end of the year.

Mulvaney, 51, is a former Republican congressman from the U.S. state of South Carolina. He has been the budget director since Trump took office, and was acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau between Nov. 25, 2017 and Dec. 11, 2018.

The latest announcement came as Trump spent almost a week considering a nominee to fill the vacancy left by Kelly, a retired U.S. Marine Corps general.

His previous candidates, including Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers and former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, refused to take the post.