K.T. McFarland, a transition team official and President Trump's former deputy national security advisor under Michael Flynn, asked President Trump to withdraw her nomination to be the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, and he has accepted.
Trump nominated McFarland last May to be the U.S. envoy to Singapore. When the U.S. Senate did not act on the nomination by the end of 2017 the White House resubmitted her nomination in early January.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee said in December that McFarland’s nomination had been delayed due to concerns about her testimony to Congress over communications with Russia.
McFarland had said in a written response to a question from Democratic Senator Cory Booker, a foreign relations committee member, that she was “not aware” of communications between Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn and Sergei Kislyak, when Kislyak was ambassador to Russia.
However, the New York Times reported early in December that it had obtained an email McFarland sent on Dec. 29, 2016, the day former President Barack Obama’s administration authorized new sanctions against Russia, saying Flynn would talk to Kislyak that evening.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said last December McFarland's nomination was "frozen" until the discrepancy was resolved.
McFarland, a former Fox News personality, made no mention of the situation in her letter to Trump requesting her withdraw her nomination.
McFarland wrote, “I have come to this decision reluctantly, because I believe in your mission" and assured the president she has "no intention of withdrawing from the national debate," adding "I want to help you in whatever way I can."
In a statement responding to McFarland's request, the president accused Democrats of playing politics with her nomination.
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) responded on Twitter.
It's not "playing politics" to expect a nominee to be truthful when testifying before Congress. It's the bare minimum – and K.T. McFarland failed to meet this standard.https://t.co/bSTIVhRKzX pic.twitter.com/4jq2wnF3l9
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 2, 2018
McFarland is the second Trump nominee to be thwarted by the Russia probe.
Sam Clovis withdrew from consideration to become the Department of Agriculture’s chief scientist last fall after questions emerged about his interactions with campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversations about Russia.
Trump pick K.T. McFarland withdraws nomination as envoy to Singapore (Reuters)
McFarland’s Testimony About Russia Contacts Is Questioned (NYT)
K.T. McFarland withdraws as nominee for ambassador (The Hill)