Top officials at the Department of Homeland Security, including Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, were caught off guard by the White House’s sudden move Thursday night to pull the nomination of Ronald Vitiello as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to two sources who spoke with the Washington Examiner.
Nielsen, who has overseen DHS for 16 months, on Thursday was blindsided and called Vitiello after midnight for more information on what had happened, one source close to Vitiello said.
Vitiello got a call from a White House official Thursday night telling him he would not be traveling with President Trump and Nielsen to Southern California the following day because his nomination had just been rescinded.
