Trump defends national security adviser McMaster

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — President Donald Trump issued a defense of his national security adviser H.R. McMaster against criticism that he’s not supportive enough of Israel and is stifling conservative viewpoints.

Trump came out with a public endorsement late Friday. In a statement, Trump said: “General McMaster and I are working very well together. He is a good man and very pro-Israel. I am grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country.”

McMaster, an Army lieutenant general, came under attack after the recent firing of White House intelligence adviser Ezra Cohen-Watnick, who was a protege of Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Critics have accused McMaster of trying to remove conservative voices from Trump’s national security team.

McMaster was also the subject of a widely circulated Facebook post by a Jerusalem Post columnist that called him “deeply hostile to Israel.”

Trump’s statement of support comes after a turbulent period at the White House and a reshuffling of top staff under new White House chief of staff John Kelly.