Trump Announces Kirstjen Nielsen is Out as Homeland Security Secretary

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is out, President Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Sunday.

“Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service,” the president wrote. “I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary.”

….I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2019

A senior White House official told Axios’s Jonathan Swan that Trump wasn’t satisfied with Nielsen, and asked for her resignation.

“He didn’t think she was getting the job done,” a senior White House official told me just now, characterizing the president’s thinking about Nielsen. “He asked for her resignation and she gave it to him.” More in Sneak Peek shortly…

— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) April 7, 2019

According to a CBS News report, Nielsen’s departure comes amidst clashes on policy with the president, and as part of a “massive overhaul” of DHS “engineered and directed” by Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser and immigration hardliner.

“It’s unclear whether Nielsen is deciding to leave voluntarily, or whether she has been pressured to resign,” CBS News reported, though Trump in recent weeks has expressed a desire to get “tougher” on immigration.

CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond obtained Nielsen’s resignation letter:

Nielsen was not planning to resign when she walked into her meeting with Trump today, but she was prepared for the possibility. Here is her resignation letter, per a source close to Nielsen: pic.twitter.com/ElyTiwbYuR

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) April 7, 2019

Earlier on Sunday, CBS News justice correspondent Paula Reid reported that according to two U.S. officials, Nielsen was set to meet with the president at 5 p.m., and was expected to resign.

JUST IN: Two US officials tell @CBSNews DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen meeting with President Trump at 5pm, expected to resign.

— Paula Reid (@PaulaReidCBS) April 7, 2019

Politico’s Eliana Johnson confirmed Nielsen was meeting with the president in the White House residence:

Nielsen is meeting with Trump in the White House residence right now, per a senior White House official.

— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) April 7, 2019

This story is breaking and will be updated.

[Photo by Jim Watson/Getty Images]

from Mediaite http://bit.ly/2Ikr0YJ