Mike Rogers, the former Michigan congressman who chaired the House Intelligence committee for four years, is no longer working on the transition team for President-elect Donald Trump.
"These past six months, it has been an honor to serve as National Security Senior Advisor to the Trump transition team," said Rogers in a statement. "I look forward to continuing to provide advice and counsel as needed to the incoming Trump administration as they work to make America great again."
While others are reporting that Rogers was pushed out because of his alliance with ousted transition chief Chris Christie, sources tell THE WEEKLY STANDARD that the Trump transition team grew skittish about Rogers over concerns about the former congressman's Intelligence committee report on the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. The transition team's executive committee discussed the 2014 Rogers report, which most of his fellow Republicans on the Intelligence committee did not endorse, on its first conference call on Saturday.
Additionally, other senior Republicans who focus on national security issues raised questions about Rogers with the new transition leader and incoming vice president Mike Pence.
What prompted questions about Rogers and his fitness for the new administration? Many of the CIA officers who survived the Benghazi attack have loudly opposed the Rogers report since it was released, particularly objecting to the report's claim that no CIA officer on the ground in Benghazi was told to "stand down" from a rescue attempt. Just last week one of those officers, Kris Paronto, tweeted some harsh criticism of Rogers:
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05.07.2024