Trump says he's nominating Chad Wolf to be DHS chief after a government watchdog said he was serving illegally
- President Donald Trump announced he's nominating Chad Wolf to be Homeland Security chief.
- Wolf has been leading the agency in an acting capacity for nearly a year.
- The announcement came less than two weeks after a government watchdog said Wolf was appointed invalidly and is not legally eligible to serve in his current role.
- Wolf has faced backlash this summer over the deployment of federal agents to US cities, and calls from congressional Democrats to resign.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he's nominating Chad Wolf to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump tweeted, "I am pleased to inform the American Public that Acting Secretary Chad Wolf will be nominated to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. Chad has done an outstanding job and we greatly appreciate his service!"
This announcement came less than two weeks after the Government Accountability Office said Wolf, who has been serving in the role in an acting capacity, and acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli were appointed invalidly and are ineligible to serve in their current roles under a 1998 law.
The Trump administration rejected the GAO's conclusion, which is not legally binding, and dismissed it as "laughable."
Wolf has been at the center of backlash over the controversial deployment of federal agents into US cities in recent months amid ongoing protests over racism and police brutality. The acting DHS chief in a July interview with Fox News said he did not need an invitation from local leaders to send federal officers into their communities.
"I don't need invitations by the state, state mayors, or state governors to do our job," Wolf said.
"We're going to do that, whether they like us there or not," Wolf said. "That's our responsibility."
A number of Democrats have called for Wolf to resign and his nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, could face fierce opposition.
Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, sits on the Senate committee that would hold Wolf's confirmation hearing.