According to sources close to the transition, retired Marine General John Kelly has emerged as the top contender to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security. The 66-year-old Kelly whose military career spanned more than four decades, retired earlier in 2016 as the chief of U.S. Southern Command. In that post, he often clashed with Barack Obama’s administration over its plans – which were never executed – to close Guantanamo Bay. As leader of the Department of Homeland Security, Kelly would become a key player in the president elect’s plans to secure the U.S. border and crack down on illegal immigration.
Retired Marine Gen. John Kelly emerges as frontrunner for head of DHS
