Kelly deputy for homeland sec’y

WASHINGTON — President Trump will nominate his deputy chief of staff, Kirstjen Nielsen, as secretary of homeland security, the White House announced Wednesday.

Nielsen formerly served as John Kelly’s chief of staff when he was Trump’s first homeland security secretary. She moved with Kelly to the White House when Trump tapped him to serve as his own chief of staff, and was quickly named principal deputy.

Nielsen, an expert in homeland and national security policy, previously served as a special assistant to former President George W. Bush and worked for the Transportation Security Administration.

The White House said in its announcement that Nielsen “has extensive professional experience in the areas of homeland security policy and strategy, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and emergency management.” She is also the first nominee for the position to have previously worked for the Department of Homeland Security.