US President Donald Trump has decided to replace his national security adviser, HR McMaster, but the move is not expected to be made immediately, reports say.
US President Donald Trump announces US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster (left) as his national security adviser. Photo: AFP
Citing five people with knowledge of the plans, the Washington Post said Mr Trump was considering several possible replacements, including former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton and Keith Kellogg, the chief of staff of the National Security Council.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters for comment.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the president has signalled in recent days that a shake-up at the top levels of his administration was not over.
"I'm really at a point where we're getting very close to having the Cabinet and other things that I want," Mr Trump told reporters after Mr Tillerson was fired.
Mr McMaster is not expected to be ousted immediately, the Post reported.
Mr Trump is willing to take his time making the change to avoid humiliating Mr McMaster and carefully choose a strong replacement, the report said.
Mr Trump never personally gelled with Mr McMaster and the president recently told White House Chief of Staff John Kelly that he wanted Mr McMaster replaced, according to the newspaper.
Mr Trump has complained that Mr McMaster, a three-star Army general, is too rigid and that his briefings go on too long and seem irrelevant, the Post reported.
Mr McMaster is Mr Trump's second national security adviser, succeeding Michael Flynn, who was dismissed a year ago for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States.
-Reuters
