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Robert Harward turns down Trump's national security adviser offer | |
(35 minutes later) | |
US President Donald Trump's choice for National Security Adviser has turned down the job offer. | |
Retired Vice-Admiral Robert Harward was widely tipped for the post after Mr Trump fired Michael Flynn on Monday. | Retired Vice-Admiral Robert Harward was widely tipped for the post after Mr Trump fired Michael Flynn on Monday. |
A White House official said Mr Harward cited family and financial commitments, but US media said the sticking point was he wanted to bring in his own team. | A White House official said Mr Harward cited family and financial commitments, but US media said the sticking point was he wanted to bring in his own team. |
Mr Flynn had misled US Vice-President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US. | Mr Flynn had misled US Vice-President Mike Pence over his conversations with Russia's ambassador to the US. |
The latest setback emerged hours after Mr Trump robustly denied media reports of White House disarray, insisting his administration was running like a "fine-tuned machine". | |
Mr Harward told the Associated Press the Trump administration was "very accommodating to my needs, both professionally and personally". | |
"It's purely a personal issue," added the 60-year-old former Navy Seal who is currently based in Abu Dhabi as an executive for US defence contractor Lockheed Martin. | |
Asked about reports that he had asked to bring in his own staff at the National Security Council, Mr Harward said: "I think that's for the president to address." | |
Mr Flynn, a retired army lieutenant-general, was ousted amid claims that before he was even appointed as national security adviser he had discussed sanctions with a Russian envoy. | Mr Flynn, a retired army lieutenant-general, was ousted amid claims that before he was even appointed as national security adviser he had discussed sanctions with a Russian envoy. |
This would have potentially breached a law banning private citizens from engaging in diplomacy. | This would have potentially breached a law banning private citizens from engaging in diplomacy. |
Mr Flynn initially denied having discussed sanctions with Sergei Kislyak, Moscow's ambassador to Washington. | Mr Flynn initially denied having discussed sanctions with Sergei Kislyak, Moscow's ambassador to Washington. |
But on Monday, Mr Trump asked for his resignation following revelations that Mr Flynn had misled the vice-president about his conversations with the diplomat. | But on Monday, Mr Trump asked for his resignation following revelations that Mr Flynn had misled the vice-president about his conversations with the diplomat. |
Leading Republicans have called for an investigation into intelligence leaks that led to Mr Flynn's resignation. | |
More on the Flynn scandal | More on the Flynn scandal |
Two other contenders - retired General David Petraeus and acting national security adviser Keith Kellogg - have also been tipped to take on the job. | |
Mr Kellogg, a retired three-star general, was named acting national security advisor after Mr Flynn stepped down. | |
The 72-year-old had a long career in the US Army, serving in Vietnam and Iraq, before retiring in 2003 and becoming a security consultant for software giant Oracle Corp. | |
Mr Petraeus, a celebrated former four-star general, retired as CIA director in 2012 after it emerged he had given top-secret material to his biographer, with whom he was also having an extramarital affair. | |
He is still serving two years' probation after his conviction for mishandling classified information, and would need to notify his parole officer if he wished to move to Washington DC. |