Two candidates with starkly different backgrounds sit at the top of President Trump’s list of possible replacements for outgoing acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, according to three current and former senior DHS officials familiar with the discussions.

Ken Cuccinelli, a staunch conservative and border hawk with an affinity for Twitter and television, is the expected choice, but career DHS employee and veteran, David Pekoske, is also a possibility — and highly qualified.