Retired Admiral James Harward Turns Down Offer For National Security Adviser Post
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/CBS News/AP) -- President Donald Trump is once again searching for a national security adviser.
Retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward has rejected President Trump's offer to take over the post, CBS News' Major Garrett reports.
Sources close to the situation told Garrett that Harward and the administration had a dispute over staffing the security council.
Two sources close to the situation confirmed that Harward demanded his own team, and the White House resisted.
Specifically, Trump told Deputy National Security Adviser K. T. McFarland that she could retain her post, even after the ouster of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Harward refused to keep McFarland as his deputy, and after a day of negotiations over this and other staffing matters, Harward declined to serve as Flynn's replacement.
Harward, a 60-year-old former Navy SEAL, served as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command under now-Defense Secretary James Mattis. He previously served as deputy commanding general for operations of Joint Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
Harward has also commanded troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan for six years after the 9/11 attacks. Under President George W. Bush, he served on the National Security Council as director of strategy and policy for the office of combating terrorism.
Flynn resigned from the post amid questions about his contacts with Russian officials.
Law enforcement sources confirmed earlier this week that FBI agents had interviewed former national security adviser Michael Flynn last month. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Flynn's security clearance has been suspended as investigators look into his ties to Russian officials.
At a news conference Thursday, Trump defended by attacking the press and members of the intelligence community for the "illegal process" of leaking information.
"No, I didn't direct him to talk sanctions," Trump said. "I didn't direct him, but I would've directed him to because that's his job."
He said that he was "not happy'' with how information about Flynn's phone call to a Russian diplomat was relayed to Vice President Mike Pence.
But Trump said what Flynn did "wasn't wrong'' and after that, Trump called attention to what he said is "classified information that was given illegally.''
"What was wrong was the way that other people, including yourselves in this room, were given the information," he said, "because that was classified information that was given illegally. That's the real problem."
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