Mick Mulvaney’s office in the West Wing of the White House is very large and it’s just as well; he’s currently sharing it with the man who’ll soon succeed him as White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.
In the coming weeks, Mick Mulvaney will take up his new role as the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.
Mr Mulvaney is a proud Irish-American with family roots in Co Mayo. He says he asked President Trump for the Northern Ireland job.
But surely it’s a demotion?
"Anything is a demotion from White House Chief of Staff, short of becoming president or perhaps vice president," he said.
"The job of Chief of Staff is one one never has for life, the average is 14 months which is almost exactly how long I was in the job."
Mick Mulvaney insists he's leaving on good terms with President Trump.
"The president came to me and said you've served the administration and the country very well and he asked if there’s anything I’d like to do. I said, Northern Ireland envoy."
It’s a position that’s been vacant since Donald Trump took office and Mick Mulvaney is taking over at a crucial time with Brexit negotiations under way and looming talks on a future trade deal between the US and UK.
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has warned that there will be no trade agreement if there are any threats to the Good Friday Agreement.
Congressman Richard Neal, the Chair of the House Committee that will oversee any future trade deal, has issued the same warning.
"I want to sit down and talk to Richie about this," Mick Mulvaney says.
"I think Richie and Nancy are on to something there. If there is a hard border there are going to be difficulties and not everyone here has grasped that."
He says he’ll be focussed on America’s commitment to peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland.
Mick Mulvaney's time as acting White House Chief of Staff hasn’t been without controversy.
In October, at the height of the impeachment investigation, he was asked about conditions being attached to military aid for Ukraine.
"We do that all the time with foreign policy," Mr Mulvaney responded.
"Get over it," he said. "There's going to be political influence in foreign policy."
Now, as he prepares to leave the White House, Mick Mulvaney says he doesn’t regret the comments
"What I was saying was that we use foreign aid to try to get foreign countries to do what we want them to do. It was misinterpreted as doing something regarding our election and that was not my intention."
He may soon have to vacate his large West Wing office but Mick Mulvaney says he’ll still have a direct line to the White House.
"I can pick up the phone next week or next month if I'm in Belfast and call the President of the United States directly. I'm not sure there are other envoys who've been able to do that," he said.
Listen to Mick Mulvaney’s interview on the US Election podcast from RTE News 'States of Mind'.
