REPORT: Obama-era issue still poses a risk for National Security Council

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A new report from the Daily Caller News Foundation has discovered that several holdovers from the Obama administration are still working on the staff of National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster.

This is problematic given that these individuals served an administration that actually led initiatives that clashed with President Trump’s foreign policy.

Clearly, the last thing this administration needs is more internal strife.

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According to the Daily Caller:

About 40 of the National Security Council’s (NSC) 250 officials — nearly one in six — are Obama administration holdovers, according to TheDCNF’s analysis. The holdovers include NSC directors for Korea, China, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Eastern Europe, Israel-Palestine, South America, North Africa and sub-Sahara Africa. Holdovers also advise on weapons of mass destruction, counterterrorism, non-proliferation, arms control, defense policy, immigration, and homeland preparedness.

It’s been common practice in previous administrations to retain holdovers from an outgoing administration, and nearly all are on loan from other federal agencies. But current and former administration officials tell TheDCNF they are concerned that so many Obama era holdovers are still working at NSC eight months into the Trump administration.

“The problem is the allegiance they have to their former administration and their position and stances on national security,” said Col. James Waurishuk (Ret.), a 30-year veteran senior intelligence official and a former NSC official. “It’s crazy when they represent pretty much 180 degrees of what Trump is trying to do.”

Officials on the the NSC who support the president’s agenda are on edge since McMaster dismissed Trump faithfuls Ezra Cohen-Watnick, NSC senior director for intelligence, and Derek Harvey, NSC’s director for the Middle East. McMaster’s deputy, Maj. Gen. Rick Waddell, also fired Richard Higgins, NSC director for strategic planning.

One of the holdovers is Allison Hooker, who just so happened to be a prime architect for Obama’s Korean policy. If current events are any indication, whatever plan she and her team concocted failed. Miserably.

Which is why it’s shocking to find out she’s now working as the NSC director for Korea, as the president continues to wrestle with the communist regime and its unruly leadership. Once again, one has to ask, if things are going this badly, why does Hooker still have a job?

Frenando Cutz is another holdover who works as McMaster’s director for South America. To give you an indication of where Cutz stands on issues, he’s a big fan of Obama’s Cuba policy. Says it all, doesn’t it?

These are two prime examples…and there are more.

Our president needs to be surrounded by people who support his agenda and will use their expertise to push that agenda forward and implement plans and policies good for our country.

That doesn’t mean he is surrounded by “yes men,” but at least staffers who support his ultimate goal: to make America great again.

[NOTE: This article was written by Michael Cantrell. Follow him on Twitter @MCantrell0928 and on Facebook]

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