As details of his personal life began to surface, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan withdrew is nomination to become confirmed by the Senate. President Trump made the announcement on Tuesday along with appointing Secretary of the Army Mark Esper as Acting Secretary of Defense.
U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee where the confirmation process for the Secretary of Defense begins.
“I want to thank Patrick Shanahan for his service as Deputy Secretary of Defense and as Acting Secretary of Defense and wish him and his family the best,” Inhofe said.
“President Trump has made a good decision in having Secretary Esper serve as Acting Secretary of Defense. Secretary Esper has a long history of dedicated service to this nation, and he has shown excellent judgment in his current position, which I expect will continue as he assumes the role of Acting Secretary of Defense.
“As I’ve said before, for the sake of our national security, we need a confirmed Secretary of Defense—not just an acting—and I hope we can get to that point as quickly as possible.”
