On the March 24 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews asked White House communications director Nicolle Wallace whether “my friend Don Evans" -- former Bush administration secretary of Commerce and chairman of Bush's first presidential campaign -- would be “coming back to be a sort of a liaison with the Republicans on the Hill.” When Wallace stated, “We adore Secretary Evans,” Matthews responded: “We all do, too, here, and we're wondering if you're going to bring back somebody that everybody likes, because he might, you know, help out.”

Matthews made these remarks during a discussion about “bringing back some gray heads to the White House.” Prior to serving as Commerce secretary from January 20, 2001, to November 9, 2004, Evans served as chairman of the Bush/Cheney 2000 presidential campaign.

From the March 24 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about bringing back some gray heads to the White House.

WALLACE: I'm getting gray, I think. A few more months.

MATTHEWS: No, I think you're -- no, you're far too youthful for this. What do you think about my friend Don Evans, the former secretary of Commerce? I hear his name popping around. Is he coming back to be a sort of a liaison with the Republicans on the Hill?

WALLACE: We adore Secretary Evans. Everybody -- and --

MATTHEWS: We all do, too, here, and we're wondering if you're going to bring back somebody that everybody likes, because he might, you know, help out.

WALLACE: Well, look, I think we rely on his help in a lot of ways still. I think a lot of us still get a lot of good advice and wisdom from him, but there are -- the president addressed this -- this week. At this point, there are no plans to make any staff changes. We're fortunate to have the president's confidence, and I think that to a person, everybody here is deeply committed to -- to the agenda. We all see ourselves as public servants, and you know that having been one yourself.