Former Utah Congressman Chris Stewart is reportedly being considered for the Director of National Intelligence position in the second Trump administration. Stewart, who resigned from Congress last year because of his wife's health problems, was reportedly passed over for the same job in 2020 after comparing Trump to Mussolini.
When acting DNI Joseph Maguire was forced to step down in 2020, then-National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien urged Trump to tap Stewart, who held a seat on the House Intelligence Committee, as his replacement.
Trump reportedly dumped Stewart from consideration after he was told that Stewart compared him to Mussolini during the 2016 presidential campaign.
"As a Republican, I'm telling you, Donald Trump does not represent Republican ideals," Stewart said during an event at the University of Utah in March 2016.
"He's our Mussolini."
Instead of Stewart, Trump appointed Richard Grenell.
Just days after leaving office, Stewart was named the head of a new lobbying firm partnering with a consulting firm that O'Brien founded.
Stewart isn't the only Utahn reportedly under consideration for joining Trump's cabinet next year. Sen. Mike Lee is a leading candidate for the Attorney General position. O'Brien was thought to be on the shortlist to become Secretary of State in the second Trump administration, but Trump is expected to give the job to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
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