Washington: Donald Trump on Sunday announced he will replace the Defense Secretary Jim Mattis recently announced his resignation on Thursday with a letter saying his views were not aligned with Trump, who said Mattis would retire at the end of February
President Donald Trump announced on Sunday he would replace Defense Secretary James Mattis at the start of the New Year, two months earlier than Mattis' planned departure.
Trump issued the bombshell news in characteristic fashion. The president lauded his temporary pick to run the world's largest military force as a man with a "long list of accomplishments".
"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. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!" Trump tweeted.
But the move came across as an act of sour grapes in response to Mattis's disclosure of his deep disapproval of Trump's approach to foreign policy. In his resignation letter, the defense secretary talked about the importance of working with allies and warned of the threat of "malign actors" like China and Russia.
Shanahan, a former Boeing Co. executive, was nominated for the job of deputy defense secretary in early 2017.
Shanahan is the son of Vietnam veteran Mike Shanahan, who served in the U.S. Army. "He returned home and continued his selfless service to his fellow Americans with another 25 years in law enforcement," Shanahan said, according to an October 2017 article on the Department of Defense's website.
"Growing up, my understanding of the war came from my Dad, his friends and the few stories they would share."
The Washington state native also said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee that his veteran father raised him and his younger brothers with the American ideology of "service before self."
Before Shanahan was confirmed by the Senate in a 92-7 vote, the late Arizona Sen. John McCain said he wasn't overjoyed that a defense industry executive with no prior military experience would come to lead the Pentagon.