Washington, DC – With the nation paying homage to the departed soul of former President George H W Bush, President Donald Trump nominated a well-known conservative lawyer, Bill Barr, as the new Attorney General. Barr also held the role of AG under President George H W Bush from 1991 to 1993.
Before departing on Marine One for a domestic trip, Trump confirmed the nomination of Bill Barr for US Attorney General to the journalists on the South Lawn of the White House, calling him, “one of the most respected jurists in the country — highly respected lawyer, former Attorney General under the Bush administration — a terrific man, a terrific person, a brilliant man.”
Labeling him “first choice from day one,” Trump said, “Respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats. He will be nominated for the United States Attorney General,” adding, “I think he will serve with great distinction.”
Currently, the 68-year-old Republican lawyer Barr is counsel at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm in Washington DC, and if confirmed by the senate after his official nomination, he will replace the current acting attorney general, Matt Whitaker. Whitaker had been a controversial pick from the start due to his views on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s inquiry.
Announcing that he was heading to Kansas City, Trump said, “We’ll be traveling to Missouri. I’m making a speech on law enforcement — a very important subject.”
Heather Nauert to Replace Nikki Haley
President Trump made another confirmation of the replacement for Nikki Haley with Heather Nauert, calling her, “somebody that we know very well, who has done a great job at the — as — working with Mike Pompeo and others over at the State Department.”
Nauert, 48, a former Fox News presenter, became state department spokesperson in April 2017. After Nikki Haley announced in October that she would leave the post of US Ambassador to the United Nations by the end of the year, Nauert has been a favorite in the list of probables. Nauert’s appointment to the UN role now has to be approved by the US Senate.
Announcing the nomination, Trump told journalists, “She’s going to work with Nikki Haley to replace Nikki at the United Nations. She’ll be Ambassador to the United Nations. She’s very talented, very smart, very quick, and I think she’s going to be respected by all. So Heather Nauert will be nominated for the Ambassador to the United Nations.”
Hints on Pentagon Replacement
Another announcement to replace the US Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Department of Defense will be made at the Army-Navy game tomorrow (Dec. 8). Giving a hint about it, President Trump said, “I have another one for tomorrow that I’m going to be announcing at the Army-Navy game. I can give you a little hint: It will have to do with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and succession. And I look forward to telling you.”
The Joint Chiefs of Staff consist of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Trump in his hint was not clear whether he was referring to successors to the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or to any of the five other officers who are members of the Joint Chiefs.
According to sources, the chairman, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford is due to serve until Oct. 1, 2019; the term for the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs is Air Force Gen. Paul Selva expires in July 2019. Gen. Mark Milley, the Army chief of staff, is due to finish his term next summer, as are Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, and Gen. Robert Neller, the commandant of the Marine Corps. Gen. David Goldfein began his term as Air Force chief of staff in 2016.
Tejinder Singh, Editor, India America Today & White House Correspondent