Trump fires Mattis early, names aide as acting Pentagon chief
Iran Press TV
Sun Dec 23, 2018 06:43PM
US President Donald Trump has named Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan as the acting Pentagon chief, saying he will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier than previously scheduled.
"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," the president said in a tweet on Sunday. "He will be great."
A former Boeing Co. executive, Shanahan joined the Trump administration in 2017. He has supervised many of Boeing's strategic weapons programs, including the V-22 Osprey, CH-47 Chinook and the AH-64D Apache aircraft.
He has also overseen the US military's experiments with laser, including the Airborne Laser and Advanced Tactical Laser programs.
Shanahan's appointment means that Trump wants to end Mattis' term as Defense Secretary two months before his planned departure.
Mattis announced he would quit the Trump administration on Thursday, a day after Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, said the president's decision was a "wise choice."
Democratic Representative Ted Lieu, on the other hand, blasted Trump's decision.
"How to describe this?" Lieu, a frequent Trump critic, tweeted. "PETTY. WEAK. JUVENILE."
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