The disorder deepened in the Trump White House on Thursday, as the president’s pick to succeed retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn as national security adviser turned down the job. Trump had selected Vice Adm. Robert Harward to fill the national security role vacated by Flynn, but, CBS News reports, a clash over how the National Security Council would be staffed led to Harward withdrawing his name from consideration.
From CBS:
Specifically, Mr. Trump told Deputy National Security Adviser K. T. McFarland that she could retain her post, even after the ouster of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Harward refused to keep McFarland as his deputy, and after a day of negotiations over this and other staffing matters, Harward declined to serve as Flynn’s replacement.
The Financial Times reports, however, that Trump is not done trying to coax Harward to join the administration and is trying “to change his mind after the retired admiral tapped for the role told the US president that he could not accept the White House position, according to two people familiar with the situation.”
