Report: Trump Is Already Floating Replacement Secretary of State - Vanity Fair - Home Builder Developer, Interior Renovation and Design Home Builder Developer, Interior Renovation and Design

Home » Cabinet Replacement » Report: Trump Is Already Floating Replacement Secretary of State – Vanity Fair

At the beginning of last year, Mike Pompeo ruled out a 2020 Senate run, saying he would serve as Donald Trumps secretary of state for as long as the president allows. But with impeachment entangling his boss, and Mitch McConnell working overtime to recruit him, the Pompeo rumor mill has continued to churn. In that uncertainty, which Pompeo himself has fed, several candidates have quietly begun to line up behind him, positioning themselves to replace him at State.

Three people whove spoken to the president directly about the matter told Washington Post that Trump has been tossing around names for Pompeos successor with lawmakers and officials. Two figures have emerged as leading contenders for Pompeos would-be replacement: national security adviser Robert OBrien and Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin. OBrien, who replaced John Bolton as national security adviser, reportedly charmed Trump as the State departments lead hostage negotiator, and has been rewarded with a growing portfolio. Hes also endeared himself to Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior adviser, and to Pompeo himself, perhaps making him a natural successor.

Mnuchin would be a less intuitive pick. Unlike Trump and Pompeo, the Treasury secretary has taken a less hawkish approach to China, putting him out of step with the rest of the administration on a key foreign policy front. Still, Mnuchin remains close to the president, as evidenced by his rare longevity in the Trump administration. In a White House characterized by infighting and high turnover, surviving in Trumps cabinet for three years makes him a competitive candidate by default.

Of course, their abilities to appease Trump notwithstanding, each comes with liabilities. Mnuchin was barely confirmed for his current job thanks to his lack of experience. His qualifications to serve as Americas top diplomat are even thinner, raising questions both about his ability to be confirmed and to fulfill his duties. OBrien is reportedly seen as one of the more competent officials in Trumps orbit, rooted in a traditional conservative foreign policy approach, but remains somewhat green behind the ears. I think the greatest challenge he will have is his relative lack of experience inside the U.S. government, and with the interagency process, Richard Fontaine, the chief executive of the nonpartisan Center for a New American Security, told the New York Times of OBrien in September, as he took over for Bolton.

Such concerns could open the door to other figures who have indicated interest in Pompeos job, including Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, Senators Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton, and deputy secretary of state Stephen Biegun, who would become acting secretary of state should Pompeo decide to launch a 2020 Senate campaign. He hasnt yet signaled that hell do so. But the barely concealed jockeying suggests McConnells overtures to Pompeo may actually be workingparticularly Republican leadership believes their Kansas senate seat is in danger. He loves Kansas, he loves the people of Kansas, Trump said last month, suggesting hed be open to Pompeo mounting a bid. If he thought there was a chance of losing that seat, I think he would do that and he would win in a landslide because they love him in Kansas.

Report: Trump Is Already Floating Replacement Secretary of State – Vanity Fair

No Comments - “Report: Trump Is Already Floating Replacement Secretary of State – Vanity Fair”