Shanahan drops bid for defense secretary

WASHINGTON—Patrick Shanahan, the acting secretary of defense since Jan. 1, announced Tuesday his withdrawal as a possible nominee for the permanent position. He cited a “painful” family situation as the main reason for his move. Various news outlets recently reported past accusations of domestic violence between members of his family. President Donald Trump tapped Shanahan to succeed former Defense Secretary James Mattis but had not officially submitted the nomination to the Senate.

“I believe my continuing in the confirmation process would force my three children to relive a traumatic chapter in our family’s life and reopen wounds we have worked years to heal.” Shanahan said in a statement. “Ultimately, their safety and well-being is my highest priority.” Shanahan also resigned from his previous position as deputy secretary of defense.

Before serving in the Department of Defense, Shanahan worked at Boeing in senior positions overseeing logistics chains and other administrative duties. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but he had no prior experience in government or military service before his appointment as deputy secretary in 2017.

Trump thanked Shanahan in a tweet Tuesday for his “outstanding service” and said he did a “wonderful job.” He also named Secretary of the Army Mark Esper, an Iraqi war veteran, as the new acting defense secretary but did not indicate whether he would nominate Esper to the permanent position.