Former Rep. Mike Rogers abruptly exited President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team Tuesday at the urging of team members, according to multiple reports.
The Michigan Republican formerly served as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He was serving the transition team’s national security advisor and was believed to be a frontrunner to head up the CIA in the Trump administration.
But transition team members asked him to step aside, Bloomberg News first reported.
“These past six months, it has been an honor to serve as National Security Senior Advisor to the Trump transition team,” Mr. Rogers said in a statement.
“Our work will provide a strong foundation for the new transition team leadership as they move into the post-election phase, which naturally is incorporating the campaign team in New York who drove President-elect Trump to an incredible victory last Tuesday,” he said.
Mr. Rogers said that he was handing off his duties to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who is leading the transition team; Rick Dearborn, the executive director of the team; and the Trump family.
