Controversial Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke has reversed his acceptance of President Donald Trump’s nomination for a job in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to a Saturday report in The Washington Post. “Late Friday, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke Jr. formally notified Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly that he had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer to join DHS as an assistant secretary,” said Craig Peterson, a spokesman for the sheriff. “Sheriff Clarke is 100 percent committed to the success of President Trump and believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the president’s agenda in a more aggressive role.”
Asked to comment on his decision in an interview with portal KnowMyRepublican.com, Sheriff Clarke said that there were “several reasons” why he decided to opt out of working for DHS. “Primarily, I’d like to say that I have the utmost respect for Donald Trump and that I’m a firm believer that he will transform our great country back into the all-powerful giant it once was,” Clarke said. “I think I speak for millions of Americans when I say that it was about time we had a president who not only knows what he’s doing, but also isn’t afraid to show his teeth to terrorists and other countries who like to think we’re nothing but a bunch of has-beens. He makes me proud to be an American and that hasn’t happened in well over a decade for me.”
He continued, “That being said, I’d like to make it clear that the decision not to take the job at the Department of Homeland Security wasn’t an easy one. As a matter of fact, it was one of the most difficult choices I’ve had to make. However, it was explained to me that, in accordance with internal DHS policies, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hat as part of my daily attire, and that’s something that deeply saddened, disturbed and ultimately disappointed me. My hat is my trademark and I consider it an extension of my person. It is as much a part of me as my arms or legs. Not being able to wear it to my job daily would gravely impact my performance and I fear such a change would prove to be devastating in executing my daily duties. In other words, I’m no good without it.”
“Another part of my decision, which, I’ll say again – was a very difficult one to make – is the fact that I’ve actually always dreamed of being a part of a large, federal law enforcement agency. But, unfortunately, the agency that I’ve always gravitated towards is not the Department of Homeland Security. Don’t get me wrong: I think highly of it, just as I think highly of all federal agencies that are doing their job of keeping the citizens of this country safe. However, there is one that, for me, has been, is, and always will be above the rest. That agency is the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and seeing how it is currently ‘between’ directors, I was hoping that I might trade my DHS position for an FBI directorship. I know it’s a longshot, but this is a country where anything can happen if one has enough faith. And I deeply believe I was destined to become the head of the FBI,” Sheriff Clarke explained.