WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In another senior staff shake-up inside his often turbulent administration, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he has picked the two people he wants to be the next U.S. attorney general and the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

FILE PHOTO: Spokesperson Heather Nauert (L) speaks as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo holds a dialogue with reporters in his plane while flying from Panama to Mexico, October 18, 2018. Brendan Smialowski/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

He said he will nominate William Barr, who was attorney general under former President George H.W. Bush in the 1990s, to fill that top job again at the U.S. Justice Department.

Barr would replace Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who has been in that position since Trump forced out Jeff Sessions as attorney general a month ago.

Trump said he will put forward State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as ambassador to the United Nations. Nauert, a former Fox News Channel host, would replace Nikki Haley, who said in October she would resign at the end of this year.

Both are likely to face tough questions at their Senate confirmation hearings. Democrats called Nauert unqualified and said they were concerned about Barr’s independence.

Republicans said they were pleased with both nominees.

Trump also said he would make a personnel announcement concerning the Pentagon on Saturday, telling reporters outside the White House, “It will have to do with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the succession.”

Trump was expected to name the Army’s top general, Mark Milley, as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country’s top military position, U.S. officials told Reuters.

Separately, two sources told Reuters that John Kelly is expected to resign in coming days as White House chief of staff after months of speculation.

The proposed changes come as the Republican president faces another difficult stretch.

Democrats are promising aggressive oversight of Trump’s administration and business activities when they take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January following their gains in last month’s elections.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is continuing to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, any collusion between Moscow and Trump’s campaign and possible obstruction of justice. More details of the inquiry were set to emerge in court filings on Friday.

Barr, who was attorney general under Bush from 1991 to 1993 and has worked in the private sector since then, would oversee Mueller’s probe if the Senate confirms him in the job again.

He is likely to face pressure at his confirmation hearings to show he would protect Mueller from political interference. Critics of Trump have long been concerned that the president wants to end the Mueller probe.

Republicans, who control the Senate, said Barr was well qualified. Senator Chuck Grassley called him a “talented, well-respected lawyer.”

“There is no one more capable or qualified for this role,” Trump said at a law-enforcement conference in Kansas City.

Trump, who has repeatedly denounced the Mueller investigation as a “witch hunt,” denies any collusion with Russia or any obstruction of justice. Russia denies U.S. intelligence agencies’ findings that it meddled in the 2016 election campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump’s favor.

‘STEEP HILL TO CLIMB’

Barr also may face scrutiny about past comments questioning the political affiliations of Mueller’s team and supporting Trump’s decision last year to fire FBI Director James Comey.

“Given President Trump’s demonstrated lack of regard for the rule of law and the independence of the American justice system, his nominee for attorney general will have a steep hill to climb in order to be confirmed by the Senate,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney who is currently acting head of the Justice Department, has drawn criticism for past business ventures and critical comments about the Mueller investigation before he joined the department.

Trump mocked and belittled Sessions for more than a year, angry at Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from overseeing the Russia probe because he had worked for Trump’s election campaign.

If she is confirmed to the U.N. ambassador post, Nauert would bring little diplomatic experience to a highly visible international role.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, praised Nauert as “one of the United States’ strongest voices on the global stage.”

Democrats were less enthusiastic.

“She’s clearly not qualified for this job, but these days it seems that the most important qualification is that you show up on Donald Trump’s TV screen,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said on CNN.

Other nations with veto power on the U.N. Security Council are all represented by ambassadors with decades of foreign policy experience.

Nauert would succeed Haley, a former South Carolina governor who also had little experience in world affairs before she took the job. Haley insisted that she be made a member of Trump’s Cabinet and his National Security Council to bolster her power within the administration.

In other staff changes, White House political director Bill Stepien and public liaison director Justin Clark are leaving their jobs to help Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, the campaign said.

Trump’s White House has had the highest turnover of senior-level staff of the past five presidents, according to figures compiled by the Brookings Institution think tank. </s> WASHINGTON — William Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, has emerged as a leading contender for that job in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

That’s according to a person involved in the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because no selection to lead the Justice Department has been announced.

Trump has been known to change his mind on personnel decisions.

The appointment is especially sensitive now as special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, which the department oversees, is showing signs of entering its final stages.

Barr was attorney general between 1991 and 1993. Trump forced out Attorney General Jeff Sessions in November and elevated Sessions’ chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, to acting attorney general.

The Washington Post first reported that Barr was a leading candidate. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In another senior staff shake-up inside his often turbulent administration, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he has picked the two people he wants to be the next U.S. attorney general and the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

He said he will nominate William Barr, who was attorney general under former President George H.W. Bush in the 1990s, to fill that top job again at the U.S. Justice Department.

Barr would replace Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, who has been in that position since Trump forced out Jeff Sessions as attorney general a month ago.

Trump also said he will put forward State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as ambassador to the United Nations. Nauert, a former host at Fox News Channel, would replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would resign at the end of this year.

Both appointments would require U.S. Senate confirmation.

Trump, speaking to reporters outside the White House, also said he would make a personnel announcement concerning the Pentagon on Saturday.

“It will have to do with the joint chiefs of staff, the succession,” he told reporters outside the White House, suggesting he may name a new top U.S. military officer.

Separately, CNN reported on Friday that John Kelly is expected to resign in coming days as White House chief of staff, citing unnamed sources. Reuters has not independently confirmed the report.

The proposed changes come as the Republican president faces another difficult stretch.

Democrats are promising aggressive oversight of Trump’s administration and business activities when they take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January following their gains in last month’s elections.

Special Counsel Robert Muller is continuing to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, any collusion between Moscow and Trump’s campaign and possible obstruction of justice. More details of the inquiry were set to emerge in court filings on Friday.

Barr, who was attorney general under Bush from 1991 to 1993 and has worked in the private sector since then, would oversee Mueller’s probe if the Senate confirms him in the job again.

Barr is likely to face pressure at his confirmation hearings to show he would protect Mueller from political interference. Critics of Trump have long been concerned that the president wants to end the Mueller probe.

Trump, who has repeatedly denounced the investigation as a “witch hunt,” denies any collusion with Russia or any obstruction of justice. Russia denies U.S. intelligence agencies’ findings that it meddled in the 2016 election campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump’s favor.

Barr also may face scrutiny about past comments questioning the political affiliations of Mueller’s team and supporting Trump’s decision last year to fire FBI Director James Comey.

“I hope he will use the opportunity to unambiguously commit, should he be confirmed, to upholding the rule of law,” Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said on Twitter.

Trump called Barr “a terrific man, a terrific person, a brilliant man,” in remarks to reporters as he left for an out-of-town event.

“He was my first choice from Day One. Respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats. He will be nominated for United States Attorney General and hopefully that process will go very quickly,” Trump said.

Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney who is currently acting head of the Justice Department, has drawn criticism for past business ventures and critical comments about the Mueller investigation before he joined the department.

Trump mocked and belittled Sessions for more than a year, angry at Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from overseeing the Russia probe because he had worked for Trump’s election campaign.

If she is confirmed to the U.N. ambassador post, Nauert would bring little diplomatic experience to a highly visible international role.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican, praised Nauert as “one of the United States’ strongest voices on the global stage.” Democrats were less enthusiastic.

“She’s clearly not qualified for this job, but these days it seems that the most important qualification is that you show up on Donald Trump’s TV screen,” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said on CNN.

Other nations with veto power on the U.N. Security Council are all represented by ambassadors with decades of foreign policy experience.

Nauert would succeed Haley, a former South Carolina governor who also had little experience in world affairs before she took the job. Haley insisted that she be made a member of Trump’s Cabinet and his National Security Council to bolster her power within the administration.

Bringing Nauert aboard in a sub-cabinet role could diminish the position, said Stephen Pomper, a former Obama administration official. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In another staff shake-up of his often turbulent administration, President Donald Trump said on Friday he had picked the two people he wants to be the next U.S. attorney general and next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Trump said he will nominate former Attorney General William Barr to fill the top job at the U.S. Justice Department again, and that he will put forward State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as ambassador to the United Nations. Both are posts that have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Trump also said he would make another personnel announcement on Saturday.

“It will have to do with the joint chiefs of staff, the succession,” he told reporters outside the White House, suggesting he may name a new top U.S. military officer.

Separately, CNN reported on Friday that John Kelly is expected to resign as White House chief of staff in coming days, citing unnamed sources. Reuters has not independently confirmed the report. </s> William Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, has emerged as a leading contender for that job in President Donald Trump's Cabinet.That's according to a person involved in the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because no selection to lead the Justice Department has been announced.Trump has been known to change his mind on personnel decisions.The appointment is especially sensitive now as special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which the department oversees, is showing signs of entering its final stages.Barr was attorney general between 1991 and 1993. Trump forced out Attorney General Jeff Sessions in November and elevated Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, to acting attorney general.He's also a New York City native, growing up on the Upper West Side. His parents were faculty members at Columbia University, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees in government.Barr received his law degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.Since leaving government, Barr has worked in senior corporate positions and as a lawyer with a Washington firm.------------ </s> The Senate crossed the 51-vote threshold to confirm William Barr as President Trump’s new attorney general Thursday.

The vote puts Barr — who served as George H.W. Bush’s attorney general — in charge of the Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

With the final votes still being cast, Barr apparently dispelled Democrats’ concerns about how he would manage Mueller’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. </s> Trump nominates William Barr to be new attorney general

Washington, Dec 7 (EFE).- US President Donald Trump said Friday he will nominate William Barr to be the new attorney general, a post the jurist previously held between 1991 and 1993.

 If confirmed by the Senate, the 68-year-old Barr will succeed Jeff Sessions, who was forced out by Trump on Nov. 7.

“He was my first choice from day one, respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats,” Trump told reporters at the White House before leaving for Kansas City, Missouri, where he is scheduled to give a speech Friday at the Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference.

“He will be nominated for the United States attorney general and hopefully that process will go very quickly,” the president added.

Sessions stepped down amid non-stop criticism from Trump and was replaced on an interim basis by his chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker.

The relationship between Trump and Sessions soured due to the latter’s decision in early March 2017 to recuse himself from any involvement in Justice Department investigations regarding alleged Russian interference in the presidential election or potential collusion by the Trump campaign with Moscow.

Sessions did so after questions arose about the then-senator’s contacts with the Russian ambassador in 2016 while he had a role in Trump’s campaign.

“The Russia Witch Hunt Hoax continues, all because Jeff Sessions didn’t tell me he was going to recuse himself…I would have quickly picked someone else. So much time and money wasted, so many lives ruined…and Sessions knew better than most that there was No Collusion!” Trump tweeted on June 5, 2018.

Less than three months after Sessions’ decision, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein named a former FBI director, Robert Mueller, as special counsel in the Russia investigation.

That appointment came on May 17, just eight days after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey, who had been leading that agency’s Russia probe.

Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, could oversee Mueller’s investigation if confirmed.

US intelligence agencies accuse Russia of interfering with the 2016 campaign to favor Trump over his rival, Hillary Clinton.

Trump denies any collusion and Moscow denies meddling in the 2016 election. </s> WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed William Barr as attorney general on Thursday, putting him in charge of a Justice Department conducting multiple investigations of the campaign and administration of a president who has been sharply critical of its leadership.

The largely party-line vote of 54-45 came despite concerns from some Democrats about how Barr planned to oversee special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Barr was already at the Justice Department as the Senate voted. He was scheduled to be sworn in Thursday at 4:45 p.m. at the White House.

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, called the confirmation was "a major victory for justice and the rule of law."

Barr steps into a difficult job as the country's top law-enforcement officer. President Donald Trump ousted his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, in November after more than a year of criticism for recusing himself from the Russia probe that the president calls a "witch hunt." Trump complained to the newspaper The Hill in September that "I have no attorney general."

Sessions' interim replacement, Matthew Whitaker, came under fire from Democrats in Congress after he rejected a recommendation from department attorneys that he too step aside from that case.

Barr, 68, is a widely respected Washington lawyer who has already served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush. He takes over an agency grappling with an epidemic of illegal drug overdoses and a crackdown on migrants who entered the United States illegally that separated thousands of children from their families.

"If America ever needed a steady hand at the Department of Justice, it is now," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee. "Mr. Whitaker has done a good job as interim attorney general, but we're looking for a new person to bring stability, improve morale and be a steady hand – mature leadership – at a time when our country is very much divided."

But some of the most delicate questions he faces could be those posed by Mueller's investigation and a separate criminal probe into illegal payments in the final months of the 2016 campaign to silence two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump.

"Multiple criminal investigations loom over the Trump presidency," Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, said on the Senate floor Wednesday. "These investigations may ultimately define it. And the president has reacted to them the only way he knows how: to attack relentlessly. That includes attacking investigators, witnesses, even the justice system itself."

Barr has given little indication of how he would handle either case.

He told lawmakers he would allow Mueller to complete his investigation, and that he would resist outside interference in investigators' work. But he also holds expansive views of presidential power, and once wrote a memo questioning the legal theory that might permit Mueller to conclude that the president had tried to obstruct the Russia inquiry. And Barr has suggested the public might never learn all the details of what the special counsel has found.

Barr told senators at his confirmation hearing last month that he would release as much information as possible about Mueller's findings. But he also cited a Justice Department policy to avoid publishing derogatory information about people who aren’t charged criminally.

The department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has an opinion that a sitting president can’t be indicted, and several Democrats worried that the combination of those two things could lead Barr to keep confidential parts of the report dealing with Trump.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said she opposed Barr because of his expansive view of executive authority.

“Taken to its natural conclusion, Mr. Barr's analysis squarely places this president above the law," Feinstein said Wednesday on the Senate floor.

Barr arrived on the same day that former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe acknowledged opening an obstruction of justice and counter-intelligence investigation against Trump, the day after Trump fired the-FBI Director James Comey in May 2017.

McCabe, who was ultimately dismissed for allegedly lying to investigators about his contacts with reporters, had been tapped to serve as Comey’s interim replacement.

Trump had previously asked Barr to join the legal team defending him in the Russia investigation. Barr declined, telling lawmakers, "I didn’t want to stick my head into that meat grinder."

Now Barr takes on that case and considerably more.

"You seem like a rational person," Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., told Barr during his confirmation hearing, then rattled through the criticisms Trump has heaped on federal law enforcement. "Why do you want this job?"

"Well, because I love the department and all its components including the FBI," Barr replied. "I think they're critical institutions that are essential to preserving the rule of law, which is the the heartbeat of this country."

More: Robert Mueller has spent two years investigating Trump and he hasn't said a word. It's possible he never will.

More: Attorney general nominee William Barr says he would resign rather than fire Mueller 'without good cause'

More: Top 5 moments from first day of William Barr's confirmation hearing for attorney general

More: What you need to know about Trump's attorney general nominee, William Barr </s> William Barr was confirmed Thursday by the Senate to serve as President Trump’s next attorney general, sending him to lead a Justice Department whose past officials have come under sharp criticism from the president over the ongoing Russia investigation.

Several Democrats joined nearly all the Republicans in confirming Barr, 68, a longtime lawyer who served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under the late President George H.W. Bush. He was confirmed 54 to 45.

WHO IS WILLIAM BARR? 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL

Three Democrats, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Alabama Sen. Doug Jones and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, voted to confirm Barr. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul was the lone GOP nay.

Barr will be sworn in Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office at the White House. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office.

Barr becomes the second full-fledged attorney general of the Trump administration: the president, upset over his recusal in the Russia investigation, fired former Attorney General Jeff Sessions from running the Justice Department the day after the 2018 midterm elections. Matthew Whitaker has served as acting attorney general during the vacancy.

“A major victory for justice and the rule of law in America: the Senate just confirmed President @realDonaldTrump’s outstanding nominee William Barr as Attorney General,” tweeted White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.

Barr’s confirmation came the same day former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired by the president last year, detailed the central role he played in the bureau’s Russia probe and the eventual appointment of a special counsel — while describing Justice Department meetings where officials discussed ousting the president.

Trump fired back that McCabe is a “disgrace to the FBI and a disgrace to our Country.”

Barr’s Senate confirmation hearings ended last month with little uproar. But even so, some Democrats charged that Barr had indicated he would exploit legal “loopholes” to hide Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report from the public and resist subpoenas against the White House.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Thursday said he would vote against Barr’s nomination because he has “not committed to making special counsel findings public and not committed to public testimony from Mueller.”

Democrats and many Republicans have said they believe that Mueller’s final report should be fully released. Barr has said that he will be as transparent as possible under Justice Department regulations, noting that regulations call for the report to be confidential, requiring only that the report explains the decisions to pursue or to decline prosecutions, which could be as simple as a short list, or a report of hundreds of pages.

“I don’t know what—at the end of the day, what will be releasable. I don’t know what Bob Mueller is writing,” Barr said at his hearing last month.

After his confirmation hearing last month, Barr disclosed that he had discussed Mueller’s investigation with Vice President Pence, but insisted that he neither provided legal advice to the White House nor received any confidential information from Pence. Barr also defended a memo he sent to the Justice Department last year that was critical of the Russia probe, explaining that it was narrow in scope and based on potentially incomplete information.

Barr, though, said “it is vitally important” that Mueller be able to complete his Russia investigation.

“I believe it is in the best interest of everyone—the President, Congress, and most importantly, the American people—that this matter be resolved by allowing the Special Counsel to complete his work,” Barr said. “The country needs a credible resolution of these issues. If confirmed, I will not permit partisan politics, personal interests, or any other improper consideration to interfere with this or any other investigation.”

He added: “I can assure that, where judgments are to be made by me, I will make those judgments based solely on the law and will let no personal, political, or other improper interests influence my decision.”

Barr also maintained that he has known Mueller for decades, respects him, and believes he should be allowed to complete his work.

“I have the utmost respect for Bob and his distinguished record of public service,” Barr said. “When he was named special counsel, I said that his selection was ‘good news’ and that, knowing him, I had confidence he would handle the matter properly. I still have that confidence today.”

Barr also told senators that Trump did not seek any assurances or promises before nominating him. Trump has decried the Russia probe as a “witch hunt,” but Barr defended Mueller’s work.

“I don’t believe Mr. Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,” Barr said at his hearing.

AG NOMINEE BARR BACKS TRUMP ON BORDER WALL, BUT PARTS WITH PRESIDENT ON RUSSIA PROBE QUESTIONS

Trump had complained that Sessions, throughout his tenure as attorney general, was weak, and did not protect him from the Russia investigation. Sessions recused himself early on in the investigation, prior to Mueller’s appointment, due to his involvement with the Trump campaign in 2016.

In turn, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein took on oversight of the investigation and tapped Mueller as special counsel. Rosenstein is expected to leave his post at the Justice Department in the coming weeks.

Barr, though, has extensive experience in law enforcement, even beyond holding the post as attorney general under the Bush Sr. administration. Barr served as deputy attorney general and assistant attorney general overseeing the Office of Legal Counsel during that administration, covering work ranging from combatting violent crime to investigating the Pan Am 103 bombing. Barr also coordinated counter-terror activities during the first Gulf War, according to his biography.

Prior to joining the Justice Department, Barr worked with the White House Domestic Policy staff for a year under then-President Ronald Reagan. In the 1970s, Barr worked in the Central Intelligence Agency as an analyst and assistant legislative counsel. While he worked at the CIA, he studied law at George Washington University.

Fox News’ Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
U.S. President Donald Trump nominates William Barr to be the new United States Attorney General, a position he held under George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993. Heather Nauert, a former journalist and the incumbent Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, is proposed as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.