Donald Trump reportedly picks John Kelly for homeland security

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday picked a fossil fuel industry defender as his top environmental official, another retired general as homeland security chief and Iowa’s governor as United States ambassador to China in choices at odds with some of his recent pronouncements. Though reported last week, on Tuesday he officially announced he will nominate General James Mattis, a retired U.S. Marine Corps four-star general, to serve as Secretary of the United States Department of Defense. There was no official confirmation however, from Mr Trump’s transition team.

And Homeland Security – as the department overseeing border security, immigration, and antiterrorism efforts, which was founded after the September 11 attacks – will play a pivotal role in fulfilling many of Trump’s campaign promises, including tougher immigration policies and the construction of a wall on the Mexican border.

And Kelly, who “has a reputation as a strong actor”, may have trouble with the worldwide diplomacy aspect of the job, which includes aviation, privacy, and information-sharing issues that the former general may not have come across.

For some, the pick has raised concerns about military voices dominating on national security and defense issues.

CORNISH: Do we have a sense of how John Kelly might handle some of Trump’s campaign pledges – you know, boosting security on the southern border or deporting criminal non-citizens?

If that is correct, it is entirely possible Team Trump chose to make the less controversial Kelly – who faces a much easier Senate confirmation – the figurehead at the top of DHS, while installing Kobach as his deputy with special responsibilities for immigration and anti-terrorism policy.

The National Border Patrol Council, which represents line agents, said that despite Gen. Kelly’s lack of experience with immigration issues, “he comes in with stellar credentials”.

In addition to Gen. Mattis and Gen. Kelly, the chairman of the Pentagon’sJoint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joe Dunford, also is a Marine and will be in that post through most of 2017. Most recently he was in charge of the U.S. Southern Command in South Florida. In 2010, his son died in combat in Afghanistan after stepping on a landmine. In the interview with Foreign Policy, Kelly questioned Trump’s plan for a wall along the U.S. -Mexico border, saying “no wall will work by itself”.

In testimony previous year before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kelly said people-smuggling activities on the southern border were a dire threat.

Groups seeking tighter restrictions on immigration also praised Kelly’s selection, noting the appointment will bring “unwavering commitment to securing the nation’s borders against terrorism and illegal immigration”. According to Duncan, Gen. Kelly insisted to his fellow soldiers that their mission was to take the city, not “kill a lot of mothers’ sons”.

In 2003, Mr Kelly became the first Marine colonel since 1951 to be promoted to brigadier general while in active combat in Iraq. In this capacity, he oversaw military duties and operations in Central and South America.

As a combat veteran, Kelly has intimate knowledge of the enemy’s reliance on asymmetrical warfare to inflict harm on the United States and other Western nations. One Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee released a statement hoping that he avoids the extreme rhetoric on immigration that we heard from the president-elect.