WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has decided to sack National SecurityAdvisor HR McMaster, in what would be the latest in a string ofhigh-profile White House departures, The Washington Post reported onThursday.

The newspaper said that Trump is discussing potential replacements forMcMaster, but is willing to take his time because he wants to avoidhumiliating him as well as to have a successor ready.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said that there were no changes atthe National Security Council, a response that avoided the issue of whetherany were being planned.

“Just spoke to @POTUS and Gen. H.R. McMaster – contrary to reports theyhave a good working relationship and there are no changes at the NSC,”Sanders wrote on Twitter.

The Post said that some in the White House were hesitant to remove McMasteruntil he had “a promotion to four-star rank or other comfortable landingspot.”

While Trump reportedly wants to avoid humiliating McMaster, that did notappear to have been a particularly high priority when he removed secretaryof state Rex Tillerson two days ago, a move he announced on Twitter.

A top aide said Tillerson did not speak to the president before his firingwas announced and was not given a reason for his dismissal.

Tillerson’s sacking came less than two weeks after Trump’s top economicadvisor Gary Cohn quit in protest against the president’s decision to levytariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

The previous year saw the departure of Trump’s first national securityadvisor Michael Flynn — who lasted just 22 days in his post — as well aschief strategist Steve Bannon, who made it seven months, and ReincePriebus, who stayed in his job for less than six.

Speculation is rife over who will be the next official to go.

Candidates include education secretary Betsy DeVos, who struggled in tworecent TV interviews, housing and urban development secretary Ben Carson,who controversially spent over $30,000 on a dining room set, the Post said.- APP/AFP