Donald Trump continues his courtship of Texans.
On Tuesday, the president-elect will meet with U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Austin who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
McCaul has been discussed as a potential pick for secretary of homeland security. As chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, McCaul made cybersecurity a top priority and sponsored a bill that would codify a response plan for cybersecurity incidents.
The Department of Homeland Security consists of 240,000 employees, who span immigration enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the TSA among other functions.
Before the second presidential debate, McCaul advised Trump that Russia was using hacked information to influence the election, but Trump didn’t believe him.
“I think he has in his mind that there’s not the proof,” McCaul said during a Texas Tribune event. “Now he hasn’t had the briefing I had, but I made it clear that in my judgment it was a nation-state.”
Trump and McCaul have one thing in common – their wealth.
McCaul is the second wealthiest member of Congress, with a net worth of at least $107 million according to Roll Call. Most of the wealth is listed as investments in the name of McCaul’s wife, Linda, the daughter of Clear Channel Communications founder Lowry Mays.
Trump also met with Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke on Monday, who is also under consideration for the homeland security job.
Clarke has referred to the Black Lives Matter movement as “vile” and “slimy.”
McCaul is one of a number of Texans under consideration for posts in the Trump administration, including former governor Rick Perry, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Dallas and former Texas Commission on Environmental Quality chair Kathleen Hartnett White.
Alex Daugherty: 202-383-6049, @alextdaugherty