- The White House announced Wednesday that the president would nominate Kirstjen Nielsen to serve as his next secretary of Homeland Security
- Nielsen has served as a deputy to John Kelly in his position of DHS secretary and at the White House as chief of staff
- Now she’ll return to the Department of Homeland Security as its head, Politico first reported
The White House says President Donald Trump will nominate Kirstjen Nielsen to serve as his next secretary of Homeland Security, a position vacated by Trump’s chief of staff.
Nielsen is currently the White House principal deputy chief of staff.
Nielsen formerly served as John Kelly’s deputy when he held the post of Trump’s first DHS secretary.
President Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen (left) speaks with her current boss, Chief of Staff John Kelly (right). Kelly previously headed DHS before moving to the White House and bringing Nielsen with him
She moved with Kelly to the White House when Trump tapped him as chief of staff, after the president removed Reince Priebus, who originally held that job.
She had developed a close bond with Kelly, Politico reported, acting as his ‘sherpa’ through the Senate confirmation to get the top DHS job.
At the White House she assisted Kelly in trying to limit the flow of information to the Oval Office, a way to get the West Wing more under control, Politico also said.
The move, annoyed some Trump aides.
As for her DHS credentials, the 45-year-old Nielsen is an attorney and cybersecurity expert.
The White House said she has ‘extensive professional experience in the areas of homeland security policy and strategy, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and emergency management. ‘
‘She is the first nominee for this position to have previously worked within the Department of Homeland Security, having served there in two administrations, first as senior legislative policy director for Transportation and Security Administration under President George W. Bush and then as Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff under President Trump,’ the White House also touted.
Since Kelly moved to the White House in late July, Elaine Duke has been filling in as acting secretary of the agency, which was created in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks.
The plans to appoint Nielsen were first reported by Politico.