Kevin Carroll, the former Homeland Security senior counselor in President Donald Trump’s first term, says Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is not at all ready for his new role as head of Homeland Security.
On Thursday, Trump announced that Mullin will become the new Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing embattled Kristi Noem. But Carroll, who served under former Homeland Security Director John Kelly, said this is not the time to fill such as large security agency with a politician.
“I'm not sure that Senator Mullin is really qualified. I mean, most of the other secretaries of Homeland Security have had substantial experience in federal law enforcement or the military, or have held senior executive positions,” said Carroll. “He's an impressive athlete. He was a successful, small businessman. But we're in a severe threat environment right now [with the invasion of Iran]. It’s probably the highest threat environment since 9/11 … I really don't think it's time for him to be in his first national security position or his first executive position.”
“What about having been a member of congress and a senator?” asked CNN anchor Brianna Keilar.
But Carroll said Mullin’s lawmaker skills and his background in mixed martial arts hardly qualified him, particularly considering the last person thrown from the job — Noem — also served as a politician.
“If he'd been through a period of doing intensive oversight and investigations, work into DHS, that might help. But really, considering the counter-terrorism threat environment right now, I'm worried about somebody learning the ropes as the head of the third biggest department of government,” said Carroll.
“She was inexperienced and it didn't go well for her,” Carroll added. “And I really think in that role, you need somebody who's had significant national security experience, significant executive experience which you just don't get as a legislator. … There are certainly Lebanese Hezbollah operatives in the country … And we really need to be at the top of our game right now. I mean, we've decapitated the [Iranian] regime. We've called for proxy forces to go in and carve up the country. The QUDS Force has absolutely no reason to hold back right now.”