US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not be the next national security advisor.
Trump spoke to Pompeo about the idea and said, “I liked the idea of having somebody in there with him”.
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Trump said he now has 15 candidates for the job, a day after saying he had a shortlist of five. He said he would probably have a decision on who gets the post next week.
“Everybody wants it very badly, as you can imagine,” he said, adding that “A lot of people want the job. It’s a great job.”
Trump’s list of people being considered for the job is largely made up of reliable conservatives with solid ties to key Trump administration stalwarts, according to several sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Tuesday, Trump announced that John Bolton is no longer his national security adviser and he has asked him to resign.
Taking to Twitter, Trump wrote, “I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week”.
Bolton’s departure comes as tensions with Iran are escalating in the Persian Gulf, North Korea continues to develop its weapons capabilities, arms control experts are warning of a potential nuclear arms race with Russia and trade tensions with China are intensifying, while Trump was discussing a drawdown of forces in Afghanistan.
