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. Shanahan told the paper this week that resurfacing the incident “will ruin my son’s life,” while backing away from his original self-defense claim. “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. Last month, the White House announced Trump's intention to have Shanahan permanently lead the department, following his time serving as acting secretary. He has filled the role of acting defense secretary since Mattis' resignation last year.

Source: Fox News June 18, 2019 17:12 UTC