Patrick Cronin, a widely respected Asia analyst who had been selected to run a Pentagon-funded think tank, turned down the position under pressure because he had signed a letter last year opposing President Trump’s candidacy, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the matter.
Cronin was chosen to oversee the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu on Jan. 17, three days before Trump assumed the presidency. His forced withdrawal is unusual because the position is not a political appointment.
Cronin was selected to run the Asia-Pacific Center by a three-member panel that consisted of representatives from the U.S. military and the Pentagon’s civilian leadership.
Cronin, a Republican who has worked closely with national security adviser H.R. McMaster, was preparing for the move to Hawaii when an article in the Washington Times described him as a “liberal” and noted that he was among 122 Republican national security officials who had signed a letter opposing then-candidate Trump.
This is the latest example of think tankers who signed "Never Trump" letters that are now being snubbed by the Trump Administration.
For those interested in working at the Hawaiian think tank, here is the website of the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS).
Here is more on the history of the think tank, which is located in Honolulu and is just steps away from the beach and ocean.
Fun fact: Hawaii has 12 think tanks (more think tanks than 19 other US states).