McMaster Is Gone, Who's Next? Trump White House Officials In Firing Line

The latest White House official to join the list of people who were fired from the Trump administration is HR McMaster, the president's national security adviser.

President Donald Trump announced McMaster’s departure Thursday in a tweet and said he was “thankful for the service of General HR McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will remain my friend." He also named John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations as McMaster’s replacement. The changing of the guard will take place on 9 April, Trump said.

According to a report in the Guardian, there were no incidents that led to McMaster’s exit but it was on the cards for several weeks before it was announced. The pair is said to have clashed several times in the past over policy issues namely Afghanistan and Iran.
In a statement, 55-year-old McMaster said he would be retiring from the U.S. Army and the White House at the same time.

He also thanked the president and the members of the National Security Council, who “worked together to provide the president with the best options to protect and advance our national interests."

Bolton, 69, who will be Trump’s third national security advisor in 14 months, issued a statement on his official Twitter account, saying he would be honored to serve the president. He added that he was looking forward to dealing with all the issues the U.S. is currently facing so that the country is “safer at home and stronger abroad."

However, McMaster’s firing put the focus on a prominent question; who will be the next official that POTUS will let go from the White House?

Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on several occasions, Newsweek reported. Reports state that the POTUS has been thinking of letting Shulkin go to improve matters at the Veteran Affairs Department. Trump believes that Shulkin has become an unwelcome distraction to the department’s work. Another reason could be the ongoing investigation on Shulkin for allegedly using his security detail for personal errands. Shulkin was also accused of making a member of his security detail go shopping with him and help him cart his purchases home.

Another name that could be on the list is Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

Carson has been at the center of a media storm for a few months now. Last month, he was accused in a lawsuit by his colleague Helen Foster for demoting her for not approving office renovations. Additionally, he also faces allegations of spending close to $20,000 in office remodeling and that of his family being a little too involved in the Housing and Urban Development. There were also reports of him using taxpayers' money for private planes.

However, Politico also reports that Trump still has reservations regarding firing Carson as he is the only black cabinet member.

Another official who attracted the president's displeasure was Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was one of Trump’s earliest supporters. POTUS has repeatedly attacked Sessions on Twitter, mainly for Sessions’ stand on all matters relating to the Department of Justice's (DOJ) probe on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly replaced Reince Priebus in July 2017. Reports about Trump having a fallout with Kelly had been doing the rounds since he largely mishandled the Rob Porter debacle. However, the White House had repeatedly maintained that Trump was not thinking about firing Kelly anytime soon.