There is a shortlist, but President Donald Trump has yet to interview anybody to replace Gen. John Kelly as head of the Department of Homeland Security, according to Politico.
Trump tapped Kelly to be his new White House chief of staff in late July, leaving the DHS in the hands of acting secretary Elaine Duke, whose service to DHS dates back to George W. Bush.
Duke is not on the shortlist, but could be; Trump has been pleased with her performance, Politico reported.
Kelly is taking a lead role to find his replacement, which has resulted in a deliberative process rather than a quick one.
"There's a sense that it's far better to get it right than to do it quickly," an administration official told Politico.
On the short list, according to Politico:
- Thomas Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
- James Loy, a former DHS official during the George W. Bush administration.
- Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
- New York Rep. Peter King, former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
"They are reluctant to put anyone in there without a homeland security background. They want someone who can hit the ground running," a source told Politico.
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