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McMaster could leave WH after months of tension with Trump
Kudos to McMaster for not parroting the Trump Russia-election-meddling hoax malarkey. The sooner he departs that den of dysfunction, the better it will be for his sanity and his integrity.
By Barbara Starr, Zachary Cohen, Elise Labott, Kaitlan Collins and Jamie Gangel
February 22, 2018
National Security Adviser and former Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster and Donald Trump
With tensions flaring between President Donald Trump and national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the Pentagon is considering options that would allow the President to potentially move the three-star general out of his current role and back into the military, according to half a dozen defense and administration officials. A search is quietly being conducted by the Pentagon to see if there is a four-star military job suited for McMaster, these officials said. Several sources told CNN that the push for a replacement comes after months of personal tension between McMaster and Trump. The task of easing McMaster out of his role as national security adviser presents a unique challenge for the White House. There was discussion in the West Wing about replacing him last fall, but he ultimately survived because officials, including the President himself, were skeptical about the optics of appointing a third national security adviser in less than a year, several sources told CNN. Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned amid controversy over his contact with Russian officials within a month of taking the job.
The decision was also driven by the White House's challenge attracting top talent for jobs in the administration due to Trump's "blacklist" of individuals who have criticized the President, his personality and the Russia investigation, according to a senior Republican source. However, those familiar with the President's thinking don't believe McMaster's job is any safer now. "He is safe until he's not," the senior Republican with knowledge of the White House added. Tensions between Trump and McMaster have been playing out for months and were on full display this weekend after Trump publicly chided him over remarks he made regarding Russian interference in the election. "General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems," Trump tweeted. The two have never gotten along, and Trump continues to chafe at McMaster's demeanor when he briefs him, feeling that he is gruff and condescending, according to a source who is familiar with his thinking.
Kudos to McMaster for not parroting the Trump Russia-election-meddling hoax malarkey. The sooner he departs that den of dysfunction, the better it will be for his sanity and his integrity.
