The United States will continue to operate without a Secretary of Defense, the longest time in history that position has remained unfilled. President Donald Trump just announced Acting Secretary Patrick Shanahan is withdrawing and leaving the Dept. of Defense. Trump just named a new Acting Secretary of Defense, the current Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper.
Yahoo News on Monday reported that there were problems with Shanahan’s nomination, noting “the man slated to head the Pentagon is facing a protracted FBI investigation that has delayed his Senate hearing until at least next month.”
“Senators were told that the postponement was because the committee had yet to receive documents from the FBI’s background check, according to a staffer for a committee member.”
Yahoo adds that “the Pentagon has been fielding press queries about his personal life, including a messy divorce that involved an accusation of domestic violence from his ex-wife, who was arrested as part of the dispute.”
Shanahan’s nomination was never even formally sent to the Senate. Without the formal nomination paperwork the Senate cannot move forward on confirmation hearings.
Acting Secretary Shanahan “has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process so that he can devote more time to his family,” Trump tweeted.