Trump expected to nominate Kirstjen Nielsen to head the Department of Homeland Security
Update 5:16 p.m. ET: The White House released a statement Wednesday confirming the president's intention to nominate Kirstjen Nielsen for secretary of homeland security. You can read the full press release here. Our original story appears below.
President Trump is expected to nominate Kirstjen Nielsen to head the Department of Homeland Security, Politico reports. The position was vacated by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly in July during a reshuffle that followed the ousting of former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. Nielsen previously served as Kelly's top aide when he was at DHS.
"She would be the first person to run the department who has actually worked there," one person close to the administration told Politico. "She has a deep familiarity."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A cybersecurity expert, Nielsen rose to be a frontrunner for the position thanks to Kelly's recommendation. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) was also reportedly being considered by Trump, but ultimately was passed over.
If confirmed, Nielsen would become the third woman in Trump's Cabinet.
-
Is the Chinese embassy a national security risk?Today’s Big Question Keir Starmer set to approve London super-complex, despite objections from MPs and security experts
-
Why X faces UK ban over Grok deepfake nudesThe Explainer Ofcom is investigating whether Elon Musk’s AI chatbot breached Online Safety Act
-
The ‘eclipse of the century’ is coming in 2027Under the radar It will last for over 6 minutes
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
