The position of Homeland Security secretary is "probably the most important position in the federal government," and Kevin McAleenan, who has been named as acting secretary knows the situation at the border and will do a "great job," White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said Monday.
"I do find it kind of interesting that the media is so focused on what happened behind the scenes with the resignation of Sec. [Kirstjen] Nielsen instead of worrying about what is happening down at the border," Gidley told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
President Donald Trump predicted the worsening situation at the border, said Gidley, and now that there is an increase in the numbers of people illegally crossing the border, "it's time to do things differently."
"The president is looking around to reshape his team to have the people in place to carry out his agenda and quite frankly he has the right to do that," he added.
McAleenan, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is "extremely knowledgeable" of the border situation, said Gidley, and he wants to work with Trump to implement his policies.
"I sat next to him on Air Force One on the flight to the border," he said. "We talked about the new fence being built down there. How amazing it is. I've seen a 65% reduction of crime in the community. They thanked us. There is no daylight between the two of them we are happy to work with him."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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