Kobach, weighing run for governor, says he will stay in Kansas

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Tuesday he will stay in Kansas and not take a job in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Kobach, who has previously confirmed is he weighing a run for governor, did not address the governor’s race during an appearance on Fox News.

"I've decided the best thing for me to do right now is for me to stay in my home state of Kansas,” Kobach said.

The comments came after a Monday night debate where Kobach contended Trump picked a “terrific team” to staff his administration, and he offered to wager any amount of money that Trump’s executive order on immigration will ultimately be ruled legal.

Kobach was the sole person to defend Trump’s staff selections during a five-person debate in New York broadcast by Intelligence Squared, a non-profit organization that produces a debate series. The debate focused on Trump’s first 100 days in office, a milestone he will reach on Saturday.

The debaters were asked to take sides on the resolution “Trump has picked a terrific team,” along with other topics.

Kobach pointed to the 25 executive orders Trump has issued so far as evidence his team is getting things done. Other panelists said the chaotic January rollout of Trump’s immigration executive order suggested incompetence by his team.

The executive order put in place a temporary travel ban for people from six Muslim-majority countries but was blocked by the courts. A revised, more narrow order in March has also been halted by judges.

“Regardless of whether you’re looking at the original executive order or the subsequent executive order, as someone who litigates in the field of immigration law, I guarantee, and I will bet whatever amount of money you want, that when the appeals are done, the travel ban that is currently being litigated will be upheld in court. I guarantee it,” Kobach said.

Kobach also defended Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who was criticized for his role in the original executive order.

“The media has portrayed Steve Bannon as this Rasputin figure who’s either evil or incompetent and he’s neither. I know him well and he is extremely bright, he is very gifted at keeping the president focused on the strategic objectives of the administration, which is what his job title is,” Kobach said.

Rich Lowry, editor of the magazine National Review, disagreed that Trump had picked a terrific team, but said it has gotten better. The best grade the Trump team can be given at the moment is an incomplete, he said.

Jamelle Bouie, chief political correspondent for the online magazine Slate, said the potential for the travel ban to be ultimately upheld, likely by the Supreme Court, does not mean Trump has a good team.

“The fact that the immediate unveiling of the travel ban plunged the administration into chaos, which took weeks to get out of and which likely energized the opposition even more, I think, is like on its face evidence that the team is not terrific,” Bouie said.

The debate took place in front of an audience, which was asked to vote on the resolution both before and after the debate.

On the resolution “Trump has picked a terrific team,” 94 percent before the debate said no. After the debate, the percentage climbed to 96.

Kobach has been a vocal supporter of Trump and was one of the first major Republicans in Kansas to endorse him. Kobach has also said he has advised Trump on immigration, including how to force Mexico to pay for a border wall – one of the central themes of Trump’s campaign.

Shortly after the election, Kobach was photographed going into a meeting with Trump holding a plan for the Department of Homeland Security, fueling speculation he was a potential candidate to lead the agency. The plan called for the questioning and tracking of “high-risk” immigrants.

Last week, a federal judge ruled that Kobach must produce a copy of the plan he took into his meeting with Trump as part of an ongoing lawsuit against a Kansas law that requires voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register.

Judge James O’Hara has stayed the order to give Kobach time to appeal the decision.

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 7:43 AM with the headline "Kobach, weighing run for governor, says he will stay in Kansas."