Trump chooses security adviser
McMaster known for battlefield acumen
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump has tapped Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, a military strategist known as a creative thinker and one of the military’s most prominent intellectuals, as his new national security adviser, replacing the ousted Michael Flynn.
Mr. Trump announced the pick Monday at his Palm Beach, Fla., club and said Gen. McMaster is “a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.”
Gen. McMaster, who has a reputation for battlefield acumen, won bipartisan plaudits from key lawmakers charged with oversight of national security and intelligence — a boon for a White House still seeking its footing after missteps.
Several hours later, the Trump administration made headlines again after The Washington Post reported that Mr. Trump is preparing executive orders aimed at reversing Obama-era policies on climate and water pollution, according to individuals briefed on the measures.
All the while, thousands of demonstrators turned out Monday across the U.S. to challenge Mr. Trump in a Presidents Day protest dubbed Not My President’s Day.
Sitting next to Mr. Trump for the announcement, Gen. McMaster said he was honored to take on the role and added that he looks forward to “doing everything that I can to advance and protect the interests of the American people.”
The president’s choice further elevates the influence of military officers in the administration. In this case, he tapped an activeduty officer for a post that’s sometimes used as a counterweight to the Pentagon.
The White House said Monday that Gen. McMaster plans to remain on active military duty, as previous national security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Colin Powell did.
He will take on the challenge of leading a National Security Council that has not adjusted smoothly to Mr. Trump’s leadership. The president’s decision to put his top political adviser on the senior committee of the National Security Council drew sharp criticism.
Mr. Trump said Monday that retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who had been his acting adviser, will now serve as the National Security Council chief of staff. He also said he would be asking John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to work with them in a “somewhat different capacity.”
Gen. McMaster is viewed as soldier-scholar and creative thinker. He has been heavily involved in the Army’s efforts to shape its future force and its way of preparing for war. He is the director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, a sort of military think tank, at Fort Eustis, Va.
Outside of the Army, he may be best known for his 1997 book, “Dereliction of Duty,” a searing indictment of the U.S. government’s mishandling of the Vietnam War and an analysis of what he called the “lies that led to Vietnam.”
Gen. McMaster commanded troops in both American wars in Iraq — in 1991, when he fought in a storied tank battle known as the Battle for 73 Easting, and again in 2005-2006 in one of the most violent periods of the insurgency that developed after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. He is credited with using innovative approaches to countering the insurgency in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar when he commanded the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
Gen. McMaster was Mr. Trump’s second choice to replace Mr. Flynn, who has been under FBI investigation for his contacts with Russian officials. Mr. Trump dismissed Mr. Flynn last week after revelations that the adviser had misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of his discussion with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. during the presidential transition. Mr. Trump said Thursday that he was disappointed by how Mr. Flynn had treated Mr. Pence.
Before Gen. McMaster, Mr. Trump had offered the job to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, who made it known he was concerned Mr. Trump would not give him enough autonomy.
Mr. Trump “gave full authority for Gen. McMaster to hire whatever staff he sees fit,” spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said aboard Air Force One as Mr. Trump flew back to Washington, D.C., after the weekend, his third at Mar-aLago in the first month of his presidency. (For the feds it was a particularly busy weekend there: At least 12 aircraft violated temporary flight restrictions through Monday afternoon for Mr. Trump’s stay.)
Tribune News Service and The Palm Beach Post contributed.