President Trump Taps Patrick Shanahan To Secretary of Defense, Mattis Leaving January 1
By Fox News // December 23, 2018
ABOVE VIDEO: The mood at the Pentagon has been solemn and depressed since Secretary Mattis announced his resignation from the DoD. Mattis is beloved by troops and general officers; Jennifer Griffin reports.
(FOX NEWS) – President Trump announced Sunday that Defense Secretary James Mattis will be leaving the administration on January 1, weeks earlier than planned and just days after Mattis’ bombshell resignation letter made clear his policy disagreements with the White House.
“I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019,” Trump wrote on Twitter Sunday morning. “Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!”
In his resignation letter Thursday, Mattis, 68, had said he would remain in his role for more than three months. Also on Thursday, Trump said Mattis was retiring in February.
“The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department’s interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in February,” Mattis wrote.
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