President Donald Trump on Monday named Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security adviser.
Trump called McMaster “a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.”
The 54-year-old West Point graduate replaces ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Trump asked Flynn, a former Army general, to resign because he misled Vice President Pence about phone conversations Flynn had with the ambassador before the new administration assumed power a month ago, with Trump saying last week that Flynn’s conduct was unacceptable.
Trump interviewed four candidates for the position Sunday. The White House said he discussed the job with McMaster, as well as acting national security adviser Keith Kellogg, a retired Army general; John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; and the superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, General Robert Caslen.
In announcing his choice to replace Flynn, Trump said the Kellogg will be the National Security Council chief of staff, and Bolton will be asked to serve in another capacity.
Trump’s chief of staff said Sunday that the person Trump selected to be the next national security adviser will have full authority over staffing decisions for the NSC.
That issue over control was reportedly one reason former Navy admiral Robert Harward turned down the job last week.
“The president has said very clearly that the new director will have total and complete say over the makeup of the NSC and all of the components of the NSC,” White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said on FOX News Sunday.
Harward was Trump’s first choice to replace Flynn, who was ousted after just 24 days on the job.
Pence ‘disappointed’ Flynn wasn’t truthful
Pence said Monday he was “disappointed” to learn Flynn had lied to him about his contacts with the Russian ambassador in Washington, stressing that he supported President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Flynn from the strategic White House post.
Pence, during a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, said, “It was the proper decision, it was handled properly and in a timely way.”
Source: VOA News
