Trump names new national security adviser

US President Donald Trump named his new national security adviser on Monday. He announced that Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster was picked to take the role that Michael Flynn left earlier this month.

McMaster is the head of Army Capabilities Integration Center. He is now taking the helm of Trump’s administration’s National Security Council.

The president said it is an honour to have McMaster as the new national security adviser. “He is highly respected by everybody in the military, and we're very honoured to have him,” Trump said.

He described McMaster as a man of “tremendous talent and tremendous experience.” Trump shared that he watched and read a lot about him in the last two days.

For McMaster, his newly-appointed role in the White House is a privilege. He is now looking forward to do everything in his power to “advance and protect the interests of the American people.”

He is taking on his new role after having served numerous tours of duty in Germany, Southwest Asia and Iraq. He earned a PhD in military history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has also written a book titled “Dereliction of Duty,” a breakdown of what he called the “lies that led to Vietnam.”

Earlier, the New York Times reported that a senior administration White House official named McMaster as one of the leading candidates for the role. Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, acting adviser Keith Kellogg and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton were also finalists to become the next national security adviser.

Trump initially offered the role to retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward. But the latter has turned the offer down. Sources told CNN that Harward was concerned about how the White House was being run.

The search for Flynn’s replacement has started after reports that the former national security adviser supposedly discussed sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergei Kislyak, and failed to notify Vice President Mike Pence and other White House officials about the details of their conversation. Trump has admitted that he requested Flynn’s resignation. The former said at a news conference that feels comfortable for dismissing Flynn because he thinks somebody will be outstanding for the role.

Before the aforementioned announcement, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg served as the acting national security adviser since Flynn filed his resignation. He will now return to his role as chief of staff of the National Security Council.