JACQUI: “On stripping security details for figures like John Bolton, Pompeo, Brian Hook, Senator Tom Cotton said that he’s seen the intelligence and the threat from Iran is real for anyone who played a role in Soleimani’s strike. He voiced concern it wouldn’t just impact those individuals, but potentially their family, innocent bystanders, friends, anyone who’s near them when they’re out in public. Is the president open to reconsidering his decision”
Leavitt: “The President was asked and answered this yesterday, and he was firm in his decision despite some of the comments that you had referenced, and he’s made it very clear that he does not believe American taxpayers should fund security details for individuals who have served in the government for the rest of their lives, and there’s nothing stopping these individuals that you mentioned from obtaining private security. That’s where the President stands on it. I have no updates on that.”
Jacqui Heinrich: “And on — would he take any responsibility if anything happened to these people, would he feel at all that his decision was a factor in that?”
Leavitt: “The President was asked and answered this yesterday. I’d defer you to his comments.”
Jacqui Heinrich: “Is there any concern that this decision might jeopardize the administration’s ability to hire the best advisors for these kinds of positions in the future?”
Leavitt: “No, in fact, I’ve talked to the Presidential Personnel Office who has told me directly that there is such an influx of resumes for this administration that it’s incredibly overwhelming. There is no lack of talent for the Trump administration.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “And on what happened on Friday night, the — the administration fired several inspectors general without giving Congress the 30-day legally required notification that they were being fired. I think only two were left at DHS and DOJ and then yesterday we saw several prosecutors — I believe 12 — fired from the Justice Department who worked on the investigations into the President. As you know, they are career prosecutors. Therefore they are afforded civil service protections. How is the administration deciding which laws to follow and which ones to ignore?”
Leavitt: “So, it is the belief of this White House and the White House Counsel’s Office that the President was within his executive authority to do that. He is the executive of the executive branch and therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the executive branch that he wishes to. There’s also a case that would before the Supreme Court in 2020, Seila Law LLC vs. the Customs — the Bureau of Protection [sic], I would advise you to look at that case, and that’s the legality that this White House was resting on.”
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FoxNews JACQUI: stripping security John Bolton & Pompeo; CNN’s Collins: several inspectors general fired