Trump weighs Energy Secretary Perry to run Homeland Security: report

President Donald Trump may tap U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry to replace former Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, who took over as White House chief of staff this week, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

Bloomberg, citing three people familiar with deliberations, said others were also being considered for the post.

White House officials had no immediate comment.

Asked about the Bloomberg report, an Energy Department spokeswoman said Perry was content in his current job.

“While Secretary Perry is honored to be mentioned, he is happy where he is and very focused on carrying out the mission the President gave him when he was chosen to lead the Department of Energy,” Shaylyn Hynes said in an email.

On Friday, an official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Republican U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, was among those being considered to replace Kelly.

The department is currently being run by Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Elaine Duke.

On Friday, Trump replaced his beleaguered White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, after only six months on the job, installing Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, in his place in a major shake-up of his top team.

Hired to bring more discipline to the White House, Kelly took up his new post on Monday.

Kelly's tenure at DHS was marked by a drop in attempted southern border crossings and a crackdown on illegal immigrants with criminal records, with a focus on gangs.

(Writing by Susan Heavey and Eric Walsh; Editing by David Alexander and Jeffrey Benkoe)