The general who said that Donald Trump had the intelligence of a kindergartner, and also called him an idiot and a dope, may be on his way out. A few days ago H.R. McMaster incurred Donald Trump’s wrath once again because he had the audacity to put truth before Trump and tell an international audience at the Munich Security Conference that evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election is beyond dispute. That caused Trump to lash out on twitter.
Huckabee Sanders did a great spin on this, saying that, “He liked the general’s answer, but thought that addendum would be helpful to add.”
Now the Pentagon is exploring options to move three star General McMaster out of the White House and back into the military because McMaster and Trump don’t like each other. CNN:
The criticism laid bare the strained relationship between the two men and left some wondering how much longer McMaster has left in the administration. For months, Trump has privately expressed irritation with McMaster stemming from differences in "personality and style," the senior Republican source said.
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The two have never gotten along, and Trump continues to chafe at McMaster's demeanor when he briefs him, feeling that he is gruff and condescending, according to a source who is familiar with his thinking.
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He prefers the briefing style of someone like CIA Director Mike Pompeo or Defense Secretary James Mattis, who patiently answer his questions, regardless of the premise. McMaster, meanwhile, is the person who delivers the news that Trump doesn't want to hear on a daily basis, according to the senior Republican source.
McMaster’s future is problematic because transitioning from the White House to the military is not that simple.
If moved back into a military role that involves testifying before Congress, McMaster might be viewed as simply supporting the White House rather than providing lawmakers with his best military advice, one defense official said.
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Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee would likely have questions about McMaster's time in the White House should he be nominated for a military role but an aide to one senior Republican member told CNN that there do not appear to be any obvious red flags at the outset that would inherently prevent his confirmation.
McMaster had a “death pact” with Rex Tillerson and James Mattis at one point, i.e., if one of them was fired, the other two would quit. It will be interesting to see if that actually takes place in the event that McMaster is fired, and yet a third National Security Adviser is appointed.