Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Monday 19 noveMber 2018

Trump pondering Kelly’s status, 3-5 Cabinet changes

Continued from Front called for her removal. The more closely associated
president said Ricardel was with authoritarian regimes.
Asked whether he would “not too diplomatic, but Trump suggested that his
keep Kelly in his post she’s talented” and down- interviewer, Chris Wallace,
through 2020, the president played the idea that his was no “angel,” and bris-
offered only that “it could wife was calling the shots in tled when the host from
happen.” Trump had ear- the White House. “(The first Fox News, which generally
lier pledged publicly that lady’s team) wanted to go gives him favorable cover-
Kelly would remain through a little bit public because age, said that the media
his first term in office, that’s the way they felt and was in “solidarity.” Trump
though many in the West I thought it was fine,” Trump declared, “I am calling
Wing were skeptical. said. He also dismissed a fake news, fake reporting,
Trump said he was happy series of reports that he is what’s tearing this coun-
with his Cabinet but was had been fuming in the try apart because people
thinking about chang- week after the Democrats know, people like things White House Chief of Staff John Kelly watches as President Donald
ing “three or four or five captured the House, claim- that are happening and Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for the “Cybersecurity
positions.” One of them is ing instead that the mood they’re not hearing about and Infrastructure Security Agency Act,” in the Oval Office of
Homeland Security chief of the West Wing was “very it.”q the White House, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Associated Press
Kirstjen Nielsen, whose de- light.” The president also
parture is now considered addressed a series of other
inevitable. Trump said in topics:
the interview that he could — He said he “would not
keep her on, but he made get involved” if his choice
clear that he wished she for acting attorney gener-
would be tougher in imple- al, Matt Whitaker, decided
menting his hard-line im- to curtail special counsel
migration policies and en- Robert Mueller’s investiga-
forcing border security. tion into 2016 election inter-
The list of potential re- ference and possible ties
placements for Nielsen in- between the Trump cam-
cludes a career lawman, paign and Russia. Whita-
two military officers and ker was previously a fierce
former acting U.S. Immigra- critic of the probe, and
tion and Customs Enforce- Democrats have called for
ment head. But her even- him to recuse himself from
tual replacement will find overseeing it. Trump said
there’s no getting around that “It’s going to be up
the immigration laws and to him” and that “I really
court challenges that have believe he’s going to do
thwarted the president’s what’s right.”
hard-line agenda at every — He downplayed a fed-
turn — even if there’s bet- eral judge’s decision to
ter personal chemistry. restore CNN reporter Jim
Trump also discussed the Acosta’s White House press
removal of Mira Ricardel, pass but derided an al-
a deputy national secu- leged lack of “decorum”
rity adviser who is being among reporters who
moved to another position cover the administration.
in the administration after — He also defended his
clashes with the East Wing incendiary attacks on the
culminated in an extraor- press, which include label-
dinary statement from first ing reporters the “enemy
lady Melania Trump that of the people,” a phrase