President Donald Trump is full of surprises, but this week brought something radically new: A pleasant one.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is an excellent pick for national security adviser. It’s all the more surprising because Trump’s first choice, former Gen. Michael Flynn, was one of his worst appointments.
Known as hot-tempered and impetuous, Flynn seemed like the last person you’d want imparting wisdom to an also hot-tempered and impetuous president. An anti-Muslim extremist, he claimed there were signs in Arabic on the Mexican border guiding terrorists into the United States.
This was especially unnerving since he reportedly was filtering security briefings for the president rather than having professionals offer the briefings directly, as they have to other presidents.
Flynn fell because he was recorded talking to Russian officials about sanctions while Obama still was in office. He lied to Vice President Mike Pence about it, and reportedly to the FBI. Trump knew about this weeks before public disclosure forced Flynn to resign, and may or may not have known all along.
Hopes of Trump attracting a serious national security expert to follow Flynn were dim. What a relief to be proven wrong..
McMaster is known as deliberative, thoughtful and collaborative. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina and is a distinguished war hero who was awarded the Silver Star. He is a man of action but, by all accounts, also a good listener.
Most intriguing, he has repeatedly spoken up about critical issues, even when he knew doing so would likely hurt his career — which it sometimes did. He will need to do this for Donald Trump, whose instincts on Russia and other topics will not reflect McMaster’s, which are based on knowledge and experience.
McMaster turned his doctoral thesis into a controversial book, “Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam.” He argued that the Vietnam War was bungled by top decision makers.
It is not unusual for retired officers to write books critical of political decisions, but to do it while still in the military indicates personal and moral courage. Those who know him well say he is forthright and nobody’s yes man.
Trump has never shown patience with those who disagree with him, whether on the campaign trail, in the media or inside the White House. When he and McMaster clash, we hope the president will at least listen. Really listen.
National security adviser is as important a position as secretary of state or secretary of defense. It functions at the hub of major decision-making that can change the nation and the world. It’s a comfort to know McMaster might have the president’s ear.
