TRUMP PICK TURNS DOWN JOB
Donald Trump US President I have nothing to do with Russia. The whole Russia thing is a ruse.
washington — Donald Trump’s reported pick for national security adviser turned down the job just hours after the president defended the ousted Michael Flynn, saying he “wasn’t wrong” for dealing with Russia.
Retired navy admiral Robert Harward’s rejection of the key post on Thursday leaves Trump without a replacement for Flynn, the first high profile casualty of the US leader’s tenure, and it added to a perception of disarray in his regime.
Harward told CNN he bowed out because of family and financial commitments, but several US media outlets reported that he was unhappy because he had no guarantees that the National Security Council — and not Trump’s political advisers — would be in charge of policy.
Members of the council currently include Steve Bannon, Trump’s controversial far-right former campaign manager.
One Harward friend told CNN that he didn’t want the job because of chaos at the White House, while the Washington Post said it was in part because he would not be able to choose his own staff.
In a statement read on CNN, Harward said he had turned down the job because he “could not make that commitment”.
“This job requires 24 hours a day, seven days a week focus and commitment to do it right. I currently could not make that commitment,” the statement read.
He added that since retiring he’s had a chance “to address financial and family issues that would have been challenging in this position”.
Harward, 60, spent much of his career in the Navy Seals, the tough special warfare units, and commanded Seal Team 3, which specialises in operations in the Middle East. During his career Harward also worked closely with retired marine corps General James Mattis, the current defence secretary.
He led Special Warfare task groups in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq beginning in 2002. —