Mr. Petraeus, 64, has his own black mark: He was prosecuted for mishandling classified material in a scandal stemming from an extramarital affair with his biographer. If he is nominated, that could raise hurdles for Mr. Petraeus with Democrats and even some Republicans at his Senate confirmation hearing. Gen. Jack Keane, a former Army vice chief of staff, said he had recommended Mr. Petraeus to Mr. Trump in a meeting two weeks ago, when Mr. Trump was sounding General Keane out for the job of defense secretary. General Keane was a mentor to Mr. Petraeus, and saved his life in 1991 when Mr. Petraeus was shot accidentally during a live-fire exercise. During the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump opposed such intensive American engagement and said the United States should stop nation-building overseas.

Source: New York Times November 29, 2016 01:23 UTC