H.R. McMaster May Be Close To Getting Ousted As National Security Advisor
Following Michael Flynn’s effective dismissal as national security advisor in mid-February, President Trump tapped active U.S. Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster to serve as Flynn’s replacement. The appointment was almost universally heralded by mainstream experts and casual observers alike as an incredibly positive step forward, a move that greatly reinforced a national security apparatus that was still reeling from Flynn-inspired organizational chaos.
In naming H.R. McMaster as national security advisor, the Trump Administration harnessed a preeminent military figure, a man very much of the soldier-scholar archetype to which Secretary of Defense James Mattis also belongs. Given his impressive credentials, which have been detailed by the Hoover Institution, it’s not difficult to see why a 33-year U.S. Army veteran, and doctorate-holder, who literally wrote the book on American counterinsurgency policy, would be a valuable asset.
Nevertheless, the New York Times reported that the esteemed general, despite his demonstrated wealth of ability, was possibly falling out of the president’s favor. Sources within the administration revealed that McMaster’s relationship with the president was marked by tumult stemming in no small part from differences of opinion on policy issues. The situation had apparently reached a fever pitch after a heated discussion over the yet-undetermined strategy in Afghanistan, when rumors swirled that the president was pondering relieving the top American commander in the region, General John Nicholson, and replacing him with McMaster.
However, a collection of media reports indicate that the environment of contentiousness surrounding McMaster may be directly attributable to the general’s growing dissatisfaction with certain White House aides undermining his authority. Perhaps more importantly, Politico reported that McMaster has found himself embroiled in an administrative and ideological clash with Steve Bannon, the administration’s influential chief strategist.
After General John Kelly’s arrival as chief of staff, it was reported that McMaster was given the green light to institute long-sought personnel changes. In a spate of sweeping administrative reforms, McMaster sacked a number of Flynn appointees, as well as several officials reportedly within Bannon’s nationalist camp. Ideologically, McMaster advocates for greater involvement in Afghanistan, opposes abolishing the Iran nuclear deal without a successor plan in place, and takes a stance on counter-extremist policy that downplays the role of any particular religion, all of which stand in sharp contrast to the positions held by Bannon.
As discussed by The Atlantic, this apparent rift has fueled an all-out assault on McMaster by entities sympathetic to Bannon’s brand of nationalist politics. The media outlet Bannon formerly oversaw, Breitbart, has released a torrent of articles over the past three days alleging, among other things, that McMaster is an impediment to reform, a poor ally to Israel, too politically correct, and is a hindrance to President Trump’s ability to realize foreign policy objectives.
While the calls for McMaster’s ouster emanating from the fringe have grown louder in recent days, the president himself reasserted that he maintained confidence in his national security advisor, a sign that the issuance of a pink slip might not necessarily be forthcoming.
[Featured Image by Alex Wong/Getty Images]
