Retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward did not turn down an offer from the president to serve as national security adviser due to a dispute over hiring leeway, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday, calling reports indicating that “100 percent false.”
Several media outlets reported late last week that Harward had reservations about his ability to bring in his own staff.
Spicer said Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trump’s eventual choice for national security adviser, would have “100 percent” autonomy over who he could hire.
“He will have whatever he needs to implement a successful team,” Spicer said.
Harward ultimately decided against joining the administration at the time due to “financial and family” considerations, Spicer said.
“Admiral Harward made it very, very clear that he wanted this job,” Spicer added, noting Harward had expressed interest in joining the national security team at a later date.
“I would urge people to actually talk to him,” Spicer said.
McMaster, who has earned bipartisan praise since accepting the position over the weekend, will replace retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn as national security adviser.
Flynn resigned last week amid allegations that he had misled the vice president and senior administration officials about the nature of his pre-inauguration contact with the Russian ambassador.
