After a short stint at the White House, principal deputy chief of staff Kirstjen Nielsen is likely headed back to the Department of Homeland Security. President Donald Trump nominated Nielsen for the top DHS job Wednesday, which has been vacant since July. The previous DHS secretary was John Kelly, who is now White House chief of staff.
Nielsen had been Kelly’s chief of staff at DHS before coming with him to the White House as his deputy. She has helped the retired Marine general run a tighter ship in the West Wing, restricting the much freer flow of information—some of it of dubious provenance—into the pre-Kelly Oval Office, as well as reining in the free-wheeling nature of meetings there.
A veteran of the George W. Bush administration, Nielsen would be the first DHS staffer to run the department, if she is confirmed.
Mark It Down—“I think I have a little bit different attitude on North Korea than other people might have.” —President Trump, when asked if he and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are “on the same page” on North Korea, October 11, 2017
In a speech Wednesday to promote Republican tax reform efforts, President Trump attempted to deflect criticism that the GOP plan disproportionately favors the wealthy with a novel argument: The rich don’t even want a tax cut!
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01.20.2025