Former soldier and lobbyist Mark Esper sworn in as US Defence Secretary

US Army Secretary Mark Esper has been sworn in as Secretary of Defence, hours after being confirmed by the Senate in a strong bipartisan vote that ended the longest period by far the Pentagon had been without a permanent top official.

Mr Esper, 55, was sworn in at the White House by US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump and attended by a number of Republican politicians. He was confirmed by the US Senate on a vote of 90-8.

"That's a vote that we're not accustomed to, Mark. I have to say that, so congratulations," Mr Trump told Mr Esper.

A former soldier, Mr Esper has also previously been a lobbyist for weapons maker Raytheon Co, the third-largest US defence contractor.

He received strong bipartisan support despite sharp questioning during his confirmation hearing by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Senator Warren questioned his ties to Raytheon and his refusal to extend an ethics commitment he signed in 2017 to avoid decisions involving the company.

Senator Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, was the only member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to voice opposition to Mr Esper's confirmation during the hearing.

Four of the eight "no" votes came from other senators running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination — Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar.

There has been no confirmed defence secretary since Jim Mattis resigned in December over policy differences with Mr Trump.

Many members of Congress from both parties had urged the Republican President to act urgently to fill the powerful position.

Mr Trump's previous pick to be secretary of defence, former Boeing Co executive Patrick Shanahan, withdrew from consideration after reports emerged of domestic violence in his family.

An Army veteran, Mr Esper served as a congressional aide and a Pentagon official under former president George W Bush before working for Raytheon.

He had been Army Secretary since November 2017. </s> U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper as secretary of the Army.

Esper is the third person nominated to be the Army's top civilian leader and, if confirmed, would become the latest high-ranking addition to the Pentagon with a background as a major defense contractor. The first two nominees dropped out — one over financial vetting issues and the other amid a backlash over controversial comments on LGBT issues.

Esper is a defense lobbyist for Raytheon and has been head of the company's government relations arm since 2010.

The U.S. Army emblem. The U.S. Army emblem. The U.S. Army emblem.

He is a former Army lieutenant colonel who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1986. He served for more than a decade on active duty, including a combat tour in Iraq during the first Gulf War. Later, Esper served as deputy assistant secretary of defense under former President George W. Bush.

Esper also has experience on Capitol Hill, working for former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and the house armed services committee.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, who would handle Esper's confirmation process, has urged the Trump administration to put forward Pentagon nominees, but he could be wary of Esper's industry ties.

During the confirmation hearing for the new Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, McCain raised concern over Shanahan's ties to Boeing.

McCain was diagnosed with brain cancer after surgery last week to remove a blood clot above his left eye, his office said Wednesday.

It's likely Esper's confirmation won't occur until after the congressional August recess.

Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman are the five largest defense contractors in the United States. </s> President Donald Trump is considering a lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon, Mark Esper, for the position of Secretary of the Army, a person familiar with the matter said.

Before Esper joined US missile-maker Raytheon in 2010, he held posts at Aerospace Industries Association and the US Chamber of Commerce.

Esper is Raytheon's vice president of government relations. A Raytheon representative declined to comment.

Esper will be Trump's third nomination for Army secretary.

Trump's first pick for Army secretary was business executive Vincent Viola. He withdrew his consideration in February because of his financial holdings.

His second pick was Mark Green, who also withdrew himself from consideration after making controversial statements about Islam, transgender rights, and gay marriage. </s> Nicholas Kamm, AFP | US Defense Secretary Mark Esper speaks after he was sworn in as President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2019.

Army Secretary Mark Esper was sworn in as U.S. secretary of defence on Tuesday, hours after being confirmed by the Senate in a strong bipartisan vote that ended the longest period by far the Pentagon had been without a permanent top official.

Esper was sworn in at the White House by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a ceremony hosted by President Donald Trump and attended by a number of Republican lawmakers.

He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on a vote of 90-8 several hours earlier. "That's a vote that we're not accustomed to, Mark. I have to say that, so congratulations," Trump told Esper, a former professional staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

Esper, 55, a former soldier and lobbyist for weapons maker Raytheon Co, received strong bipartisan support despite sharp questioning during his confirmation hearing by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren about his ties to Raytheon and his refusal to extend an ethics commitment he signed in 2017 to avoid decisions involving the company.

Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, was the only member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to voice opposition to Esper's confirmation during the hearing.

Raytheon is the third-largest U.S. defence contractor.

There has been no confirmed defense secretary since Jim Mattis resigned in December over policy differences with Trump.

Many members of Congress from both parties had urged the Republican president to act urgently to fill the powerful position.

Trump's previous pick to be secretary of defence, former Boeing Co executive Patrick Shanahan, withdrew from consideration on June 18 after reports emerged of domestic violence in his family.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called on members to support Esper as he opened the Senate on Tuesday morning.

"The nominee is beyond qualified. His record of public service is beyond impressive. His commitment to serving our service members is beyond obvious. And the need for a Senate-confirmed secretary of defense is beyond urgent,” McConnell said.

Four of the eight "No" votes came from senators running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination - Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Amy Klobuchar.

An Army veteran, Esper served as a congressional aide and a Pentagon official under Republican President George W. Bush before working for Raytheon. He had been Army secretary since November 2017. </s> "It is an honour of a lifetime to be appointed Secretary of Defence," Esper said on Tuesday after being sworn in by US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.

US President Donald Trump said he is confident that he will be an outstanding Secretary of Defence.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US Senate confirmed Esper's nomination with a 90-8 vote. He previously served as the defence chief in an acting capacity.

Esper stepped in after the previous nominee, Patrick Shanahan, withdrew his nomination and also resigned as acting defence secretary amid reports about possible domestic violence in a marriage that ended in divorce eight years earlier.

Shanahan had served as acting defence chief since Mattis’ December resignation, reportedly over a disagreement over plans by President Donald Trump to withdraw US troops from Syria. </s> Editor's note; The video above is from May 30, 2019, showing Shanahan commenting on reports about a request to hide the USS John McCain from President Trump during his visit to Japan.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has removed his name from consideration for the permanent position, President Donald Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday. Trump will have his third defense secretary in less than six months, and it comes as the U.S. faces increasing tensions with Iran.

"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," Trump Tweeted.

Trump said Secretary of the Army Mark Esper will be the new Acting Secretary of Defense.

USA TODAY reported Tuesday that the FBI has been looking into a domestic violence incident between Shanahan and his former wife from nine years ago. Each of them reportedly told police they had been punched by the other. Shanahan reportedly said he "never laid a hand on" her.

It's immediately unclear if this revelation played role in Shanahan's departure from Trump's cabinet. It's an episode which likely would have been brought up during his confirmation hearings.

"Our story is not dissimilar to those of the many families facing the difficult challenges that come when a loved one struggles with substance abuse and other emotional issues as is the case with my former-wife," he wrote.

Esper will be the third defense secretary -- confirmed or acting -- in the first 2 1/2 years of the Trump Administration. James Mattis held the position until Dec. 31, 2018. Mattis initially announced he would leave

Secretary of the Army Mark Esper speaks during a House Armed Services Committee budget hearing for the Departments of the Army and Air Force on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

This is a story. Check back for updates. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan is withdrawing his nomination to lead the Pentagon.

The abrupt announcement came in a tweet from the president, who said Shanahan had done "a wonderful job" but would step aside to "devote more time to his family."

The president added that the Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, will be the new acting secretary.

"I know Mark, and have no doubt he will do a fantastic job!" Trump said in a second tweet on the subject.

The post atop the Pentagon has not been filled permanently since Gen. James Mattis retired in January following policy differences with Trump.

Trump announced in May that he would nominate Shanahan but the formal nomination process in the Senate had been inexplicably delayed

Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, has been leading the Pentagon as acting secretary since Jan. 1, a highly unusual arrangement for arguably the most sensitive Cabinet position.

In his tenure at the department he's had to deal with a wide array of international hotspots, ranging from missile launches by North Korea to the sudden shift of military ships and aircraft to the Middle East to deal with potential threats from Iran.

Shanahan, 56, had extensive of experience in the defense industry but little in government. In more than four months as the acting secretary, he focused on implementing the national defense strategy that was developed during Mattis' tenure and emphasizes a shift from the resources and tactics required to fight small wars against extremist groups to what Shanahan calls "great power" competition with China and Russia. </s> President Donald Trump has announced that acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan is withdrawing his nomination to lead the Pentagon.

The abrupt announcement came in a tweet from the president, who said Mr Shanahan had done “a wonderful job” but would step aside to “devote more time to his family”.

The president added that the Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, will be the new acting secretary.

“I know Mark, and have no doubt he will do a fantastic job!” President Trump said in a second tweet on the subject.

The post at the Pentagon has not been filled permanently since Gen James Mattis retired in January following policy differences with President Trump.

President Trump announced in May that he would nominate Mr Shanahan, but the formal nomination process in the Senate had been inexplicably delayed.

Mr Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, has been leading the Pentagon as acting secretary since January 1, a highly unusual arrangement for arguably the most sensitive Cabinet position.

In his tenure at the department, he has had to deal with a wide array of international hotspots, ranging from missile launches by North Korea to the sudden shift of military ships and aircraft to the Middle East to deal with potential threats from Iran.

Mr Shanahan, 56, had extensive of experience in the defence industry but little in government.

In more than four months as the acting secretary, he focused on implementing the national defence strategy that was developed during Mr Mattis’ tenure and emphasises a shift from the resources and tactics required to fight small wars against extremist groups to what Mr Shanahan calls “great power” competition with China and Russia. </s> WASHINGTON - It took seven months, but President Donald Trump on Tuesday finally got a Senate-confirmed secretary of defence to succeed Jim Mattis.

Mark Esper, an Army veteran and former defence industry lobbyist, won Senate confirmation by a vote of 90-8 and was sworn in at the White House by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in a ceremony attended by Trump and several members of Esper's family.

"He's going to be a great one," Trump said.

Esper's swearing-in ended the longest period the Pentagon has gone without a confirmed leader in its history.

The turmoil atop the Pentagon began when Mattis stepped down last New Year's Eve after a series of policy disputes with Trump. He offered to stay two more months to get a successor in place and ensure continuity, but Trump said no.

The president was high on Mattis at the start of his administration. He liked to call the retired Marine general "Mad Dog," but the affection waned and shortly before Mattis quit Trump referred to him as "sort of a Democrat."

Even with Esper now in charge, the problem of leadership instability at the Pentagon is not fully resolved. There still is no Senate-confirmed deputy secretary of defence, though David Norquist on Tuesday was nominated for the post and is scheduled to have a confirmation hearing Wednesday. Norquist has been filling in as deputy since January; his regular job is Pentagon budget chief.

The senior leadership vacancies increased again last week with the departure of David Trachtenberg, the Pentagon's second-ranking civilian policy official.

Beyond that, the No. 2-ranking military officer, Gen. Paul Selva, is retiring Friday as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No Senate confirmation hearing has been set for the man picked by Trump to replace Selva: Gen. John Hyten, who has been commander of U.S. nuclear forces as head of U.S. Strategic Command.

A military officer has accused Hyten of sexual misconduct . An investigation found insufficient evidence to charge Hyten, but some members of Congress have raised questions about that process. It's unclear when or whether Hyten's nomination will proceed.

At his confirmation hearing on July 16, Esper promised that one of his first priorities would be to fix the problem of leadership vacancies.

"I need to staff up the top tier of the Pentagon soonest," he said.

Carl Tobias, a professor of law at the University of Richmond, said he believes that in the months since Mattis left, the Pentagon's sway within the administration has weakened.

"This seems to be the primary challenge that Esper confronts: regaining the power to set the Defence Department agenda and defend it by doing what is best for the nation and the world, not what advances the president's political agenda," Tobias said by email.

Esper had been the Army secretary when Mattis resigned in December. On Jan. 1, the deputy defence secretary, Patrick Shanahan, became the acting secretary. But after nearly six months as the fill-in, the former Boeing executive abruptly quit .

Esper then became the acting defence secretary, but once he was nominated last week, he had to step aside until after a Senate vote. So, for the past week, the Pentagon had been run by yet another fill-in: Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer.

Esper, who has a wide range of experience in defence matters, including time on Capitol Hill as a congressional staff member, has said he intends to continue the Trump administration's focus on improving the combat preparedness of the military, nurturing security alliances around the world and reforming Pentagon business practices.

All eight senators who voted against Esper's nomination are Democrats. They include Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, who has sharply criticized Esper for declining to recuse himself from all matters involving his former employer, Raytheon Co., for the duration of his time as defence secretary.

Democratic Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he was encouraged by Esper's confirmation but worried by the continuing problem of vacancies in the Pentagon.

"The complex challenges that we face around the globe are too serious for key positions at the Department of Defence to remain transient," Smith said. "Instead, our country needs predictable leadership at the Pentagon, capable of withstanding internal political pressure in what has been a historically turbulent administration."

Esper was a lobbyist for Raytheon, a major defence contractor, for several years before becoming Army secretary. He told Warren that Defence Department ethics officials recommended he not make the recusal commitment she asked about, but pledged to abide by all ethics rules and regulations.
U.S. President Donald Trump nominates Mark Esper as Secretary of the Army.