President Trump has offered retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward the chance to replace retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn as national security adviser, according to multiple reports.
Harward, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command and a Navy SEAL, was still deciding whether to accept the offer, Foreign Policy reported. The White House has not yet commented.
Flynn left the post as Trump’s top security adviser on Monday after discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador and then admitting not telling Vice President Mike Pence about it. According to the White House, the trust between Trump and Flynn eroded due to conflicting stories over what he may or may not have told the Russian ambassador to the U.S. regarding President Obama’s sanctions.
Harward now works as an executive for Lockheed Martin. He’s responsible for the company’s business in the United Arab Emirates, according to Reuters.
He’s a Rhode Island native who attended high school in Tehran and spent time on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush. He’s served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
As soon as Flynn resigned, Harward’s name was mentioned as being at the top of a short list to get the job. That list also includes retired Gen. David Petraeus and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who assumed Flynn’s role after he resigned.
