Key Democrats Lukewarm On SecDef Nominee; Biden Signals Return To Soft Power

Key Democrats Lukewarm On SecDef Nominee; Biden Signals Return To Soft Power
Key Democrats Lukewarm On SecDef Nominee; Biden Signals Return To Soft Power

“There really is former-general-officer fatigue, bordering on apprehension, on the Hill – on both sides of the aisle,” a former Senate staffer says. “Trump really burned out a lot of folks.”

Transparent & Apolitical: SecDef Esper’s Pledge

Transparent & Apolitical: SecDef Esper’s Pledge
Transparent & Apolitical: SecDef Esper’s Pledge

In a media-wary administration, the big news from Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s formal press briefing was that he actually held one, and pledged to keep doing so.

Who Takes Esper’s SecArmy Seat: McCarthy Or Jette?

Who Takes Esper’s SecArmy Seat: McCarthy Or Jette?
Who Takes Esper’s SecArmy Seat: McCarthy Or Jette?

As the three most powerful civilians in the Army Department, Esper, McCarthy, and Jette have formed by all accounts a tight-knit and effective team. That’s particularly remarkable because they’ve had abundant opportunities for conflict as they turned the Army bureaucracy upside down.

After Mattis: Strategic Challenge & Opportunity For President Trump

After Mattis: Strategic Challenge & Opportunity For President Trump
After Mattis: Strategic Challenge & Opportunity For President Trump

Whatever you think of Jim Mattis, his resignation and the outflow of officials that will follow create a major foreign policy problem for the United States. There is not one ally who is applauding Mattis’s departure — but depart he will, all the same. So what must President Trump and his next defense secretary do,…

The Secretary Of Reassurance Has Resigned: Farewell To Mattis

The Secretary Of Reassurance Has Resigned: Farewell To Mattis
The Secretary Of Reassurance Has Resigned: Farewell To Mattis

WASHINGTON: After two years of reassuring US allies that Donald Trump’s America would not abandon them, Jim Mattis finally had enough. Even before Trump was sworn in as president, the announcement that he would pick Mattis as his Secretary of Defense was met with delighted relief “from the right, from the left, and from overseas.”…

Trump’s Generals: A Breaking Defense eBook

Trump’s Generals: A Breaking Defense eBook
Trump’s Generals: A Breaking Defense eBook

Mike Flynn: You’re fired! H.R. McMaster, Jim Mattis, John Kelly: You’re hired!

Everybody Loves ‘Mad Dog’: Mattis Pick Reassures Allies

Everybody Loves ‘Mad Dog’: Mattis Pick Reassures Allies
Everybody Loves ‘Mad Dog’: Mattis Pick Reassures Allies

SIMI VALLEY, CALIF.: You might not think a man nicknamed “Mad Dog” would put America’s allies at ease. But that’s the buzz here at the Reagan Library’s annual defense conference, where Donald Trump‘s choice of Gen. James Mattis to run the Pentagon met with enthusiastic praise from the right, from the left, and from overseas.…

Leon Panetta Officially Bids Farewell

SecDef Leon Panetta’s official farewell to Defense Department on eve of newly confirmed Chuck Hagel’s swearing-in: http://1.usa.gov/Yyw0GX @SydneyFreedberg

Hagel Nomination: Senate Armed Services Committee Will Vote Tuesday

Chuck #Hagelnomination will come to vote tomorrow @ 2:30pm. Sen. Carl Levin, #SASC chairman, intends to hold vote right after. @colinclarkaol