Milwaukee County Sheriff Not Joining DHS After All
David A. Clarke Jr., the controversial Milwaukee County sheriff and ardent President Trump supporter, will not take a senior role with the DHS.
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke
WASHINGTON — Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, the conservative firebrand and a staunch supporter of President Trump, is no longer a candidate for a position in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Last month, Clarke said he was taking a job as an assistant secretary at the DHS; however, the agency never confirmed the appointment, stating it only announces senior appointments once the DHS secretary makes them official.
Craig Peterson, a political advisor to Clarke, said in a statement that the sheriff notified DHS Secretary John Kelly late Friday that he “had rescinded his acceptance of the agency’s offer” to join the department.
Known for his provocations on social media, Clarke is an outspoken supporter of Trump. According to Peterson’s statement, Clarke said he “is 100% committed” to Trump’s success and that he “believes his skills could be better utilized to promote the president’s agenda in a more aggressive role.”
Clarke is “reviewing options inside and outside of government,” the statement said.
Clarke spoke in support of Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last July. It is not clear how Clarke will continue to serve Trump now, but the pair met June 13 to discuss other roles, the Washington Post reports.
Clarke has drawn a considerable amount of controversy as Milwaukee County sheriff. He has come under fire for comments he made about the Black Lives Matter movement, which grew out of protests over a number of police killings of unarmed black men in various parts of the United States.
Clarke has labeled members of the movement “subhuman creeps” and called for its eradication, according to Reuters.
Critics have faulted Clarke for his management of a Milwaukee County jail where a mentally ill man died in 2016 of dehydration. An inquest jury recommended that seven employees of the jail be criminally charged.
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