Trump Said to Want Former Marine General for Homeland Security
John F. Kelly served as commander of the U.S. Southern Command
President-elect Donald Trump is turning to another retired Marine Corps general, John F. Kelly, to head the Department of Homeland Security, according to media reports.
Trump has not yet formally offered the job to Kelly, who is traveling outside the country this week, according to a New York Times report that cites a person briefed on the decision.
If officially nominated and confirmed, Kelly would join retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as Defense secretary in the Trump cabinet. Outgoing DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in June appointed Kelly to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, which provides advice to the department.
Trump was also said to be weighing candidates such as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul.
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Kelly, who retired from the military in January, last served as commander of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees the area stretching south from Mexico to the tip of the landmass in Argentina, including the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Like Trump, Kelly has been critical of the Obama administration’s policies concerning the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, rejecting the administration’s contention that keeping Guantanamo open serves as a recruitment tool for terrorists.
Unlike some of the other high profile military officers, Kelly did not endorse a candidate during the presidential campaign.