Trump Is Considering Perry for Homeland Security Chief

Energy Secretary Rick Perry is among the candidates being considered to replace John Kelly at the Department of Homeland Security, according to three people familiar with the deliberations. 

Kelly became White House chief of staff on Monday, and President Donald Trump has not made a decision about who should succeed him as Homeland Security secretary. White House officials are considering others for the position, the people said. They asked not to be identified discussing a personnel matter.

It’s not clear Perry even wants the job.

"Secretary Perry is focused on the important mission of the Department of Energy. He’s honored to be mentioned, but he loves what he’s doing," said Robert Haus, director of public affairs at the department.

Some administration officials are advocating Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, who was considered for the Homeland Security job before Trump nominated Kelly.

Perry has not been a seamless fit with the Energy Department, where the two most recent secretaries had Ph.D.s in physics. Perry was an animal science major at Texas A&M, and he advocated abolishing the department during his own presidential bid. The Air Force veteran was initially under consideration to lead the Pentagon under Trump.

Asked about the Homeland Security job search on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she didn’t have "any personnel announcements at this time."

Kelly, 67, is a retired Marine Corps general whose brief tenure at Homeland Security was marked by moves to strengthen immigration enforcement. Kelly also was supportive of the president’s high-profile promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Deputy DHS Secretary Elaine Duke has been serving as the acting leader of that department since Kelly moved to the White House. 

Perry, also 67, is familiar with border issues from his nearly 15 years as governor of Texas, but his views on immigration do not align precisely with those of Trump.

Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign foundered after he accused his Republican opponents of not having a “heart” about immigrants. Texas has a large Latino population, and Perry helped advance legislation that let undocumented children of immigrants pay in-state tuition for college.

But Perry also has supported reinforcing the U.S.-Mexico border, calling for the construction of traditional fencing where feasible and electronic barriers otherwise, supplemented by aerial monitoring.