[mairdie]

Lucianne headline. Wonder what this is about.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process.” (CNN)

[little jeremiah]

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

[mairdie]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/new-acting-defense-secretary-mark-esper-is-bad-news-for-china

New acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper is bad news for China

FTA:
Current Secretary of the Army and newly announced acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper is delivering a similar message of deterrent threat to China. That makes him well-placed to sustain the American-led international order in the 21st century.

Like Patrick Shanahan, the man he’ll replace, Esper is a former defense contractor rather than a career military officer á la Jim Mattis.

[little jeremiah]

More on Espy:

Mark Esper, set to become acting Secretary of Defense later this week, started at West Point alongside Mike Pompeo. Esper had a knack for hanging "out in the woods playing soldier and burning down mountainsides," per his 1986 yearbook page. pic.twitter.com/7Jv5EkRIWg— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch_ALM) June 18, 2019

Notable: President Trump’s new pick to lead Pentagon, Army secretary Mark Esper, is from same West Point Class of 1986 as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) June 18, 2019

A bit of searching showed that Patrick Shanahan may have had a domestice violence issue in the past, that may be reason for his very quick departure. TBD....

[little jeremiah]

Wiki bio is interesting too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Esper

[Snowybear]

Shanahan’s son did a Babe Ruth on his ex-wife and he backed his son. Very messy.

-SB

[mairdie]

Sounds like this is what it’s about. Drama not needed, whatever the truth is.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7154925/Acting-Pentagon-secretary-FBI-investigation-domestic-violence-claim-ex-wife.html

Trump FIRES his acting Pentagon secretary Patrick Shanahan after defense chief revealed to have been accused of hitting his wife and defending son who fractured mom’s skull with baseball bat