President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate retired Marine General John Kelly to lead the department of homeland security, a source familiar with the situation said yesterday, making him the third general sought for a high-level job in the new administration.
 Kelly, 66, is the former head of the US military’s Southern Command. The source said Trump was expected to name Kelly but did not elaborate.
The Republican president-elect, who has no military experience, also plans to nominate retired General James Mattis to lead the department of defence and picked retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn to be his national security adviser.
Kelly differed with President Barack Obama on key issues and has warned of vulnerabilities along the US’ southern border with Mexico.
As head of the US Southern Command, his final leadership post in a 45-year military career, Kelly was responsible for US military activities and relationships in Latin America and the Caribbean.
He retired in January, 2016.
Although Kelly’s military experience may give him insight into overseas threats like drug trafficking or extremism, he would face new challenges at an agency that oversees everything from border security to protecting against cyber threats and responding to domestic crises.
Meanwhile, Trump has picked Iowa governor Terry Branstad, who has longstanding ties to China’s president, to serve as ambassador to Beijing, a spokesman confirmed yesterday.
Trump announced his selection of Branstad — an early supporter of the Republican billionaire during his campaign — at a fundraising breakfast in New York yesterday, Jason Miller told reporters.
The transition team said the governor had accepted the position, chosen for his experience in public policy, expertise on trade issues and “tremendous understanding of China and Chinese people.”
Branstad has “considerable public policy experience,” a “great grasp” of trade and agriculture issues, and “very much impressed the president-elect,” Miller told reporters.