New Acting Defense Chief Has Close Ties to Trump

“Army Secretary Mark Esper, who’s been tapped to be the new acting secretary of Defense, is a former aerospace executive like the departing Pat Shanahan. But he comes to the job with key supporters close to the president, deeper ties to the military and bipartisan support on Capitol Hill,” Politico reports.

“Esper, who administration officials say was in the running for the top Pentagon post before President Trump said he was choosing Shanahan in early May, has been an ally of the president’s on the controversial use of active-duty soldiers to beef up border security, including traveling with Trump to the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months.”