Trump names 5 finalists to replace John Bolton

President Trump teased the fact that he narrowed the field to replace former National Security Adviser John Bolton last week. Now, he's unveiled the contenders, Politico reports.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, Trump rattled off the list of names, which includes: former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz, who was actually Bolton's chief of staff; Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the Energy Department's undersecretary for nuclear security; retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who now serves as the national security adviser to Vice President Mike Pence; Robert O'Brien, an aide to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; and Ricky Waddell, an assistant to the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and an Army Reserve major general.

Trump reportedly had some compliments ready for the finalists, tossing around words like "great," "fantastic," and "love." But he's also been clear that whoever lands the gig should be excited to work with him, as well.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

"Everybody wants it badly, as you can imagine," the president said last week. "A lot of people want the job — it's a great job. It's great because it's a lot of fun to work with Donald Trump. It's very easy to work with me. You know why it's easy? Because I make all the decisions. They don't have to work." Read more at Politico.