Chuck Hagel resigns from the Defense Department

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel resigned from the Obama administration this morning, a move the president did not resist.

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said both Hagel and President Barack Obama agreed it was time for new leadership at the Pentagon. They had reportedly been discussing the move for several weeks.

Obama will announce Hagel’s resignation later today. He is not expected to immediately name a successor. Hagel plans to remain in office until the Senate confirms a new Pentagon chief.

Hagel, a Republican who served as a senator from Nebraska, reportedly had trouble being heard over the president’s tight-knit foreign policy advisory team. He joined the Obama administration after the president’s reelection in 2012.

Washington’s rumor mill began churning about Hagel’s possible resignation after the midterm elections. Hagel downplayed the speculation during a recent interview, saying it did not concern him.

“First of all, I serve at the pleasure of the president,” Hagel said. “I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity I’ve had the last two years to work every day for the country and for the men and women who serve this country. I don’t get up in the morning and worry about my job. It’s not unusual by the way, to change teams at different times.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.