Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan bolted from Trump and decided not to seek confirmation as tensions are rising with Iran.
The Acting Defense Secretary Flees Trump
Trump tweeted:
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who has done a wonderful job, has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process so that he can devote more time to his family….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
….I thank Pat for his outstanding service and will be naming Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, to be the new Acting Secretary of Defense. I know Mark, and have no doubt he will do a fantastic job!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 18, 2019
Trump is increasing tensions with Iran while having no Defense Secretary
The chaos and instability of the Trump administration have shown its face at the worst possible time. Trump and John Bolton have been accelerating tensions with Iran, and now the Pentagon lacks a permanent leader. The White House tried to spin this with the old family time excuse, but the reality is Shanahan is another government official who bolted from Trump.
All presidential administrations have turnover, but the departure of a defense secretary during a time of increasing problems in the Middle East is the worst case scenario. Trump wanted today to be all about his reelection campaign launch, but the departure of Patrick Shanahan shows why the country can’t risk another four years of Trump.
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Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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