Trump Nominates Chad Wolf To Be Homeland Security Chief

I am pleased to inform the American Public that Acting Secretary Chad Wolf will be nominated to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. Chad has done an outstanding job and we greatly appreciate his service!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2020

Late yesterday, news reports on what would have been big news just a few years ago — the President announced a cabinet appointment by Tweet! 

President Trump, in a tweet yesterday, said he will nominate Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to be DHS secretary.  The nomination comes less than two weeks after the Government Accountability Office concluded (and here) that Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, the senior official performing the duties of DHS deputy secretary, were not appointed through a valid process. They have been serving in their roles since November without Senate confirmation.

Under Wolf’s leadership as acting secretary, DHS deployed federal agents to protests in Portland, as well as imposed new restrictions on asylum-seekers and has brashly responded to the Supreme Court’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals decision. Lawsuits have been filed seeking to invalidate DHS actions because of Wolf’s invalid appointment.

It is unclear if the Senate will vote to confirm Wolf.

KJ