Vice Admiral Robert Harward has turned down an offer to be President Donald Trump's new national security adviser, the latest blow to a new administration struggling to find its footing.
Harward said that the Trump administration was "very accommodating to my needs, both professionally and personally."
"It's purely a personal issue," Harward said Thursday evening. "I'm in a unique position finally after being in the military for 40 years to enjoy some personal time."
Harward would have replaced retired General Michael Flynn, who resigned at Trump's request on Monday after revelations that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about discussing sanctions with Russia's ambassador to the US during the transition.
Earlier, two sources familiar with the decision told AP that Harward turned down the job in part because he wanted to bring in his own team.
That put him at odds with Trump, who had told Flynn's deputy, KT McFarland, that she could stay.
Asked whether he had requested to bring in his own staff at the National Security Council, Harward said, "I think that's for the president to address."
But a friend of Harward told CNN that the Rhode Island native rejected the offer because the White House seemed so chaotic.
Others being considered for the role include acting national security advisor Keith Kellogg and former CIA director David Petraeus, according to reports.
Petraeus was sentenced in 2015 to two years of probation and fined 100,000 dollars for mishandling classified information.
