President Trump abruptly announced Tuesday that acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is withdrawing from consideration to lead the Pentagon and he’s naming Secretary of the Army Mark Esper as his replacement.
While speculation has brewed for days about Shanahan’s status, the announcement came shortly after the publication of an explosive USA Today report that the FBI has been probing a violent domestic dispute from 2010 between Shanahan and his then-wife as part of his background investigation.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, the president said, “it’s a difficult time for Pat,” adding Shanahan would take “some time off for family matters.”
