The Final Nail in the Coffin: Bossert Fired as Homeland Security Adviser

Legal AdviceApril 17, 2018

Last week proved to be one marred by controversies. In fact, one of the headlines that really rocked the nation was the firing of President Trump’s homeland security adviser, Tom Bossert. In his place, came John Bolton, who began consolidating his authority in the White House by Tuesday last week.

Unaware of his fate

On Monday last week, Bossert had attended a conference in Sea Island, Georgia. And as per one of his close associates, the adviser at the time was not aware of any intentions that the White House was about to seek his resignation; nor did he have any plans of quitting himself.

In fact, Bossert was summoned to the Bolton office early Tuesday last week and informed that he was being laid off, according to a credible source having direct lines of communication.

Inner Workings of the White House

Despite his firing coming as a surprise to many, Bossert had been kept on the sidelines for a while. In fact, his relationship with Chief of Staff John Kelly had dwindled tremendously. The new adviser, Bolton, had already begun consolidating his power under by the time Bossert’s firing was made official.

In a statement released by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, she stated that the president was grateful for the dedication and commitment that Mr. Bossert had in ensuring the security and safety of the United States. Including leading the White House’s initiatives to protect the country against security threats, to quickly act on any impending natural disasters, and to ensure that the cyber defenses of the United States were at their maximum.

Despite this lengthy statement, Sanders did not give a definitive reason as to why Mr. Bossert was being fired.

Professional work history

Bossert has had quite the impressive portfolio. He previously worked as deputy homeland security adviser as part of George W. Bush’s administration. In December 2016, he was then tapped to become assistant to the president for counterterrorism and homeland security. In fact, at that time, Trump even tweeted that Bossert was an invaluable member of his team.

Bossert further served at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Office of the Independent Counsel, the Small Business Administration, and the House of Representatives.

What’s even more surprising is that Bossert had been a focal point in Trump’s administration when it came to responding to the crisis in Syria. Even as recently as last week Sunday, he was a guest appearance on ABC’s This Week to talk about zero tolerance on a retaliatory measure after the tragic events of a chemical attack that killed dozens in Douma, a Syrian town. Unfortunately, some of the dead were children.

During the show, he reiterated the desire for Trump to withdraw U.S. troops currently based in Syria in the near future. He also said that the government was looking heavily into the Syrian chemical attack.

He also continued by stating that the United States of America has borne the brunt and has been taken advantage of for way too long as the major security provider for the entire world. He insisted that it was time for other regional partners as well as members around the globe to consolidate their resources into securing regional peace, and not just the lives of American troops on the line.

Additionally, Bossert also served as one of the critical voices of Trump’s administration during the Texas, Puerto Rico, and Florida hurricane recovery efforts last year.