White House is already searching for a new secretary of State

President Trump is already mulling who might be his third secretary of state in case the current person in the position, Mike Pompeo, decides to run for Senate in Kansas, his adopted home state.  

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is continuing his push to get Pompeo to run – while other officials are lining up to take his job. 

The most recognizable person on The Post’s list is Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, one of Trump’s original cabinet members. 

If Secretary of State Mike Pompeo decides to run for U.S. Senate in 2020 there are already names being floated to be his replacement 

President Trump is already mulling who might replace Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, should Pompeo drop into an open Senate race in Kansas, his adopted home state

President Trump is already mulling who might replace Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, should Pompeo drop into an open Senate race in Kansas, his adopted home state 

The most recognizable candidate to become President Trump's next secretary of state is current Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has been a part of the administration since the beginning

The most recognizable candidate to become President Trump’s next secretary of state is current Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who has been a part of the administration since the beginning 

The person most mentioned to slide into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's role was Robert O'Brien, who currently serves as President Trump's national security adviser

The person most mentioned to slide into Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s role was Robert O’Brien, who currently serves as President Trump’s national security adviser 

Some sources told the paper that Mnuchin is angling for the job, while others argued he’s not actively lobbying. 

He’s on the list because he’s been in the administration from the beginning, he’s close to the president and he delivered Trump a win with phase one of the Chinese trade deal. 

Mnuchin’s more dovish than Pompeo, so wouldn’t provide the same continuity at the State Department as Robert O’Brien, Trump’s current national security adviser. 

The Post reported that O’Brien’s name was brought up the most when sources were asked who might fill Pompeo’s shoes. 

Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will get the job first – and is a contender to stay in it – though is said not to be seeking it full-time. 

If Pompeo waits too long Biegun may be the Trump’s third secretary of state by default because a new nomination wouldn’t get through the Senate during the last few months of the 2020 election cycle.

Pompeo has until June to decide, as Kansas has a late filing deadline. 

Some other names mentioned included Brian Hook, the State Department’s envoy to Iran, who enjoys a tight relationship with top White House adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. 

Republicans fear that without Mike Pompeo jumping in the race the GOP primary will be won by Kris Kobach, who already lost Republicans the governor's mansion, losing the gubernatorial race to Democrat Laura Kelly last year

Republicans fear that without Mike Pompeo jumping in the race the GOP primary will be won by Kris Kobach, who already lost Republicans the governor’s mansion, losing the gubernatorial race to Democrat Laura Kelly last year 

Trump could also pull from the Senate with both Sens. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, and Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, mentioned. 

Rubio ran for president in 2016 and is a Trump critic turned ally. 

Both Rubio and Cotton have presidential ambitions beyond 2020. 

The same goes for Pompeo. 

Part of McConnell’s argument to Pompeo, The Post said, was that he could launch a White House bid from his perch in the Senate. 

Of course, Pompeo has said in early December that it’s ‘completely false’ he’s gearing up for a Senate run, telling Fox News Channel that there is ‘nothing at all’ to reports he’s going to step down. 

But Trump has said he could see Pompeo changing his mind if he thought there was danger that GOP would lose that seat, boasting that his secretary of state ‘would win in a landslide because they love him in Kansas.’ 

The president plucked Pompeo from the House of Representatives, where he represented Kansas, when he first joined the Trump administration to lead the CIA. 

And the Republicans could be in danger of losing the seat, which is being vacated by the retiring Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican. 

Kris Kobach, Kansas’ former secretary of state, has already announced he’s running for Senate.

Kobach, a ‘birther,’ doesn’t have party support. 

He lost Republicans the Kansas governor’s mansion last year, with Democrat Laura Kelly beating Kobach by five points.   

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk