INTERVIEW - SAAGAR EJETI - White House Correspondent, The Daily Caller @esaagar – discussed the Trump Administration shakeups for DHS Secretary and Secret Service Director.
SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR OUT: Secret Service director denies he was fired. (The Hill) -- Outgoing U.S. Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles denied Monday that he was fired from his post, saying in a letter to Secret Service staff that he learned "weeks ago" that there would be "transitions in leadership" across the Department of Homeland Security. "My departure from the U.S. Secret Service has been announced and is effective in May. No doubt you have seen media reports regarding my 'firing.' I assure you that this is not the case, and in fact was told weeks ago by the Administration that transitions in leadership should be expected across the Department of Homeland Security," he wrote in the letter, which was obtained by CNN. "The President has directed an orderly transition in leadership for this agency and I intend to abide by that direction. It is my sincere regret that I was not able to address the workforce prior to this announcement," Alles added.
NBC: Secret Service Director Alles was told about 10 days ago, and prior to March 30 Mar-a-Lago breach, to "put together an exit plan" for himself in preparation for imminent staff changes within DHS.
DAILY MAIL: Trump fires Secret Service director after agency ducks blame for Chinese malware carrier at Mar-a-Lago. The woman who allegedly breached security at Mar-a-Lago while carrying Chinese passports and a flash drive containing malware ALSO had a signal detector, 9 USB drives, 5 SIM cards, and thousands in cash in her hotel room, federal prosecutors said.
MIAMI HERALD: So the Secret Service stuck Zhang's thumbdrive into their computer: Secret Service agent Samuel Ivanovich, who interviewed Zhang on the day of her arrest, testified at the hearing. He stated that when another agent put Zhang’s thumb-drive into his computer, it immediately began to install files, a “very out-of-the-ordinary” event that he had never seen happen before during this kind of analysis. The agent had to immediately stop the analysis to halt any further corruption of his computer, Ivanovich said. The analysis is ongoing but still inconclusive, he testified.
DHS SEC NIELSEN OUT: After Nielsen ouster, questions over who runs DHS next: Kris Kobach and Ken Cuccinelli seem to be top contenders
Outgoing DHS Sec. Nielsen thanks Pres. Trump for "the tremendous opportunity to serve this country" "I share the president's goal of securing the border. I will continue to support all efforts to address the humanitarian and security crisis on the border"
STEPHEN MILLER: Stephen Miller wants Trump to dismiss more senior officials at DHS: report. (Hill) -- White House senior adviser Stephen Miller reportedly wants President Trump to fire at least two more senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials in addition to outgoing Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. CNN, citing Trump administration officials, reported that Miller is pushing for director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Lee Cissna, and the department's general counsel, John Mitnick, to be dismissed.