Trump works to fill national security post

may also meet with a couple of those people again,” Sanders said. Trump returns to Washington Monday.

The national security adviser is one of the most senior jobs at the White House, holding broad influence over U.S. foreign policy across the globe and presiding over the National Security Council staff.

White House officials made clear on Sunday that the new adviser would have autonomy over staffing decisions, an issue that has been reported to have thwarted some other candidates.

Trump’s first choice to fill the job after Flynn’s departure, Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned it down, citing family and financial reasons. Another potential choice, David Petraeus, a retired general and former CIA chief who resigned in 2012 over an extramarital affair, was off the president’s short list.

Sources familiar with the candidates’ thinking said they both wanted control over staffing of their team, and Trump was reluctant to grant that authority.

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus denied the reports that Harward and Petraeus wanted more control than Trump was prepared to give.

The national security adviser is an independent aide to the president and does not require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The role has varied as administrations change, but the adviser attends National Security Council meetings along with the heads of the State Department, the Department of Defense and key security agencies.

Trump has added Steve Bannon, his chief White House strategist, as a regular attendee of NSC meetings.