President Trump previously made fun of his Secret Service director’s appearance, calling him “Dumbo” because of his ears, The New York Times reported Monday.
The Times, citing two officials, reported that Trump called Randolph “Tex” Alles the name while making fun of his looks. The Times also reported Monday that Trump soured on Alles “a while ago.”
{mosads}The White House announced Monday that Alles is being replaced by James M. Murray as director of the Secret Service.
“United States Secret Service director Randolph ‘Tex’ Alles has done a great job at the agency over the last two years, and the President is thankful for his over 40 years of service to the country,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “Mr. Alles will be leaving shortly and President Trump has selected James M. Murray, a career member of the [United States Secret Service], to take over as director beginning in May.”
Secret Service staff told the Times that they suspected Alles’s departure was accelerated because of the arrest of a Chinese woman who was allowed to enter Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort despite carrying a device containing malware.
The announcement of Alles’s departure also comes after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned Sunday, effective Wednesday. The Secret Service is an agency under the Department of Homeland Security.
The Hill has reached out for further comment from the White House.