Security agency leader backed
Trump nominates acting secretary; Senate prospects unclear
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will nominate acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf for the top spot in the agency.
The president made the announcement on Twitter. He praised Wolf’s management of an agency that has been key to implementing Trump administration policies on immigration and crime.
“I am pleased to inform the American Public that Acting Secretary Chad Wolf will be nominated to be the Secretary of Homeland Security,” Trump tweeted. “Chad has done an outstanding job and we greatly appreciate his service!”
Wolf’s prospects for Senate confirmation are unclear. There is a narrow window for him to be confirmed before the Nov. 3 election, with the
Senate away until Labor Day and then scheduled to recess in mid-october.
He’s likely to face criticism over the Department of Homeland Security’s involvement in administration efforts to limit both legal and illegal immigration as well as the deployment of federal agents in tactical gear to confront protesters this summer in Portland, Oregon, without the agreement of state and local authorities.
“I think given his past actions, he’s an awful choice,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, said in a call with reporters.
Sen. Gary Peters, a member of the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, said the agency needs “qualified, principled leaders” as it faces the coronavirus pandemic and threats to election security.
“Given Acting Secretary Wolf’s record since assuming his role, I have serious questions and concerns about his suitability for the job,” the Michigan Democrat said.
Wolf was named acting secretary in November 2019 following Trump’s removal of his predecessor, acting Secretary Kevin Mcaleenan, after six months leading the agency that has the third largest budget in the federal government.
Wolf has defended the decision to use DHS to protect federal property and monuments following the protests that erupted around the nation this spring over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Wolf said that DHS was compelled to take action against what he called “lawless anarchists” because an inadequate local response had “emboldened the violent mob as it escalates violence day after day.”