{"id":67745,"date":"2019-06-19T15:06:21","date_gmt":"2019-06-19T15:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/19\/mark-esper-is-acting-defense-secretary-will-trump-make-it-permanent\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:38:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:38:15","slug":"mark-esper-is-acting-defense-secretary-will-trump-make-it-permanent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/19\/mark-esper-is-acting-defense-secretary-will-trump-make-it-permanent\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Esper is acting defense secretary. Will Trump make it permanent?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/18\/how-long-will-it-take-to-get-a-new-defense-secretary-now\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mark Esper era<\/a> will begin at the Pentagon on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/18\/shanahan-out-acting-defense-secretary-withdraws-his-confirmation-bid\/\" target=\"_blank\">sudden resignation announcement of acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan<\/a> on Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced he would appoint Esper, the current Army Secretary, to replace him in the top civilian Defense Department role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman confirmed that transfer will take place at midnight on June 23. Both defense leaders will spend the next few days working out operational issues to ensure \u201can orderly transition that ensures our men and women in uniform have the leadership and resources they need to keep our nation safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/18\/shanahan-out-acting-defense-secretary-withdraws-his-confirmation-bid\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_19158587144028.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Shanahan out: Acting defense secretary withdraws his confirmation bid amid family issues<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Trump announced his latest pick to lead the Pentagon will instead leave the top military job.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And Esper could be in line for another promotion quickly. When asked by reporters if Esper would be eventually be named to the permanent defense secretary post, President Donald Trump responded, \u201cmost likely, that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking about doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esper, a former soldier who served in Operation Desert Shield and later worked as lobbyist for Raytheon, is well-regarded on Capitol Hill and among the possible candidates for the permanent defense secretary role. He was confirmed to the top civilian Army post 19 months ago by a 89-6 vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past, Trump has suggested that he prefers acting officials to permanent appointees, because it gives him more \u201cflexibility.\u201d But unlike Shanahan, who served more than 160 days as a temporary Pentagon leader and could have continued in that role indefinitely, Esper\u2019s tenure as an acting secretary is limited under federal rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Arnold Punaro, a former Senate Armed Services Committee staff director and retired Marine Corps three-star general, said that under Goldwater-Nichols reforms approved by Congress Esper\u2019s tenure as the acting defense secretary is limited to 210 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That puts his potential end date on Jan. 20, 2020 \u2014 the three-year anniversary of Trump\u2019s inauguration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the president does formally nominate Esper for the job, he\u2019ll have to step down during the confirmation process. That would mean a third acting defense secretary this year for the world\u2019s largest military force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawmakers from both parties are already pushing Trump to move quickly on finding a permanent replacement, and signaling they would support Esper for that pick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several said Esper has presided impressively over an unprecedented shakeup of the Army\u2019s acquisitions portfolio, to shift money from older programs into new, radical modernization goals. Making cuts to weapons programs can be painful and politically charged, but Esper won praise for successfully navigating those fights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., on Tuesday offered strong support for Esper to take over the top Pentagon job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve been in the field with him to see how he does with troops, and he\u2019s exceptionally good,\u201d Inhofe said. \u201cThe president was very positive that he\u2019s going to be acting. He thinks highly of him and he knows I do too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thom Tillis, R-N.C. and head of the committee\u2019s personnel panel, called Esper \u201ca very hands-on guy\u201d with a \u201cbusinesslike approach\u201d and \u201ca great mindset for the Defense Department. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he would back Esper\u2019s nomination because \u201che has [got a] solid worldview, strong on rebuilding the military, and I think he believes in a robust foreign policy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even Trump\u2019s political foes in Congress offered support for Esper. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine and a fellow armed services committee member, said Esper, \u201chas done a good job for the Army. He\u2019s always been responsive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations defense panel, said he has worked closely with Esper over the last two years. \u201cI like him, I respect him, and I\u2019m leaning his way if he\u2019s going to be our secretary of defense,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/18\/five-names-to-watch-as-trump-searches-for-his-next-defense-secretary\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5414601.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Five names to watch as Trump searches for his next defense secretary<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">With Patrick Shanahan out of the process, who will the president tap to lead the Pentagon?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like Shanahan, Esper\u2019s close ties to the defense industry could create some concerns for his nomination. As Army Secretary, Esper has recused himself from any matters relating to Raytheon. Whether such a recusal could work practically in the defense secretary post is unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortly after Tuesday\u2019s announcement, watchdog groups criticized Esper\u2019s selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mandy Smithberger, director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project On Government Oversight, said the country needs \u201ca permanent Secretary of Defense who has the credibility necessary to make sure the Pentagon is acting in the best interests of our national security, not what&#8217;s in the best interest of contractors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said that Esper risks \u201cbeing tainted by his previous work for a major defense contractor\u201d and said he must continue to exclude himself from any matters related to Raytheon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Inhofe downplayed those concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I think it will be (a worry) with Democrats, because Democrats are going to oppose him anyway, he told reporters. \u201cBut it hasn&#8217;t been a problem so far.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon officials said David Norquist, confirmed as the defense comptroller, will remain in his current role performing the duties of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Shanahan\u2019s job before he was promoted in January to replace departing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy will likely become the acting secretary of the Army in Esper\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Reporter Aaron Mehta contributed to this story. <\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Congratulations to <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/USArmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@USArmy<\/a> Sec. Esper on new role as Acting Sec. of @DeptofDefense.<br> <br>I\u2019ve gotten to know Sec. Esper as Chair of TAL Subcommittee &amp; I look forward to working together in a new capacity.<\/p>&mdash; Congressman Donald Norcross \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@DonaldNorcross) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DonaldNorcross\/status\/1141065463054721032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 18, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Federal rules limit how long he can serve in the temporary role, but Trump may nominated him for the permanent post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":100566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,23,92,93,12,25,68,70],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3334,3380],"class_list":["post-67745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-left-column","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress","category-your-army"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"MS2WHUAAZJEEVCB4ATKLBPWSUI","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/19\/mark-esper-is-acting-defense-secretary-will-trump-make-it-permanent\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mark Esper is acting defense secretary. 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