A top U.S. military official in consideration to be Donald Trump's director of national intelligence has been recommended to be removed from his command in the Obama administration.
The recommendation to relieve Adm. Michael S. Rogers from his post as head of the National Security Agency was made to the White House last month by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, according to U.S. officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Carter and Clapper have been critical of Rogers' performance at the NSA, particularly after the agency came under fire in October when a contractor was found with a trove of sensitive digital files related to its surveillance programs. The incident took place only three years after Edward Snowden distributed more than 1 million classified documents about the agency's secret surveillance programs.
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday met with an eclectic mix of potential Cabinet picks, including high-profile Republican foe Mitt Romney, while also launching a Twitter storm boasting about settling his multi-million dollar Trump University lawsuit and criticizing the cast of the hit Broadway musical "Hamilton" for lecturing his vice president-elect about “American values.”
When not taking to Twitter, Trump spent the afternoon ensconced in his posh golf club in Bedminster, N.J., where the high-profile guests who paraded through included Romney, a former GOP presidential candidate Trump is believed to be considering for secretary of State. Also getting face-time with Trump on Saturday were Michelle Rhee, the firebrand California education activist and nemesis of teachers unions, who is a contender for the post of Education secretary. The meetings are scheduled to continue Sunday.
The most anticipated sit-down involved Romney, who during the campaign was sharply critical of the president-elect’s character and policy positions. The former governor shook hands with Trump when he arrived at Trump National Golf Club and told reporters 90 minutes later that the pair spoke about U.S. interests around the globe.
President Obama, continuing what has become a tour of explanation through Europe and now South America, advised people around the world not to prejudge President-elect Donald Trump.
"I think it will be important for everybody around the world to not make immediate judgments, but give this new president-elect a chance," Obama said at a town hall-style event with young Latin American leaders here.
The president, in responding to a question about the state of democracy in the region, said that open and transparent governments like America's "can be frustrating."