Nearly five months after appointing a former Boeing executive as interim Secretary of Defense, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday announced the president’s intention to nominate Patrick Shanahan permanently to the position. In the tweet announcing the decision, Sanders said President Donald Trump’s decision was based on Shanahan’s leadership qualities and his “outstanding service to the Country”: President Trump intends to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan as Secretary of Defense. pic.twitter.com/RaOXb09qMr — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) May 9, 2019 If Shanahan is actually nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, he will be among the very few to hold the post while lacking military, foreign policy, government, and national security experience. Experts and veterans worry that this lack of experience means he will leave key policy discussions to National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, both of whom are considered to be among the more hawkish figures in the administration. Advertisement “His resume, while impressive from a defense industry standard, doesn’t really address the needs of being a defense secretary,” said Leo Cruz, an Navy veteran and associate director of communications and campaigns at National Security Action, a nonprofit organization focusing on U.S. global leadership. Cruz says that he’s not convinced that Shanahan will bring the kind of oversight required to run the largest bureaucracy in the world. Shanahan has been occupying the interim role during an incredibly challenging time for the Pentagon. The United States is at war in seven countries, and involved in some kind of military engagement (training, combat, etc.) in dozens more. The Trump administration is trying to find its way out of some conflicts (Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria) while being in danger of sliding into others (Venezuela and Iran). Meanwhile, Shanahan isn’t saying much about his position on these issues. “This past week, when the national security adviser is going around town, drumming up support for military action in both Iran and Venezuela, you haven’t really heard much from Secretary Shanahan… He has not been the voice of caution in the tradition of a secretary of defense,” said Cruz. Jon Soltz, an Iraq War veteran and chair of VoteVets.org, a political action committee nonprofit focusing in defense policy, says Shanahan is “a lightweight” who lacks “the background, or the expertise, or the experience, per se, or the character to stand up to Donald Trump.” Advertisement Soltz did however, offer that critics who hold that Shanahan doesn’t respect the military because he himself hasn’t served are being “unfair.” Many in Shanahan’s generation, Soltz notes, who haven’t experienced a military draft, would be starting from the same position. Nevertheless, Shanahan will have a large learning curve to overcome, and will have to grow into an understanding of the sacrifices that troops make. “He’s going to have to spend a lot of time with troops at the border, he’s going to have to go to Iraq and Afghanistan to understand the ramification of a foreign policy that’s not restrained,” Soltz said. Meanwhile, other figures in the Trump administration will be leading the foreign policy decisions. “The winner of the Shanahan nomination is [John] Bolton,” said Soltz. “And that takes the president to a far, far different place from the guy who ran for president saying he was gonna essentially get to the left of Hillary Clinton [who voted for the Iraq War] on foreign policy, which essentially won him white, middle-class voters,” he added. The president’s foreign policy, he added, is “being destroyed by neocons.” Shanahan would be replacing James Mattis, who resigned in December after Trump abruptly announced that he would be pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. That troop pullout was postponed until April, but has not yet materialized. Advertisement Mattis’s resignation triggered concerns among Democratic and Republican lawmakers. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), for example, tweeted at the time, that with Mattis gone, “we are headed towards a series of grave policy errors which will endanger our nation.” “With Mattis… he had the ability and the knowledge on how to slow-roll this president, both on [North] Korea, and things like the military parade, sending troops to the border. He knew how to balance out the president’s impulsive behavior,” said Soltz, “we have lost that check and balance.” Shanahan does not seem to be that check against the president. As interim defense secretary, he faced angry lawmakers at the Munich security conference in February, and he couldn’t provide solid answers as to what the troop withdrawal from Syria might look like, only saying that it was being done as per the president’s demands of “going to zero by April 30.” He has also reprogrammed $1 billion in department funds to help build roughly 60 miles of the president’s border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, while having little to say about it himself. As Cruz points out, Shanahan tends to let others “carry the water” for him. The move means that lawmakers might take away the Pentagon’s ability to reprogram or redirect funds in the future. Shanahan showed loyalty to a president that demands it, though seldom reciprocates. Shanahan certainly wouldn’t be the only person to head the department without the necessary experience. For instance, Charles Erwin Wilson, head of General Motors, took the post in 1953. Under pressure from the Senate, however, Wilson was forced to sell his stock. By contrast. Shanahan, per his disclosure form when he assumed the position of Deputy Secretary of Defense in July 2017, still owns plenty of Boeing stock. Shanahan has been accused of promoting Boeing’s products and favoring the defense giant for government contracts and purchases. An investigation, launched in March by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, cleared Shanahan in April. It found that inspectors could not substantiate the allegations against Shanahan, who they found had acted in full compliance with his “ethics agreements and ethical obligations regarding Boeing.” Despite being cleared, Cruz said, that “it’s still a bad look” to “let the fox into the henhouse.”<doc-sep>White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday announced President Trump's intention to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan to become the next U.S. secretary of defense, following his time serving as acting secretary. The president's decision to have Shanahan permanently lead the department is "based upon his outstanding service to the Country and his demonstrated ability to lead," a statement tweeted by Sanders said. "Acting Secretary Shanahan has proven over the last several months that he is beyond qualified to lead the Department of Defense, and he will continue to do so," the statement said. FLASHBACK: DEFENSE SECRETARY JAMES MATTIS TO LEAVE AS OF JANUARY 1; TRUMP TAPS PATRICK SHANAHAN AS ACTING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Shanahan released a statement following the White House's announcement, saying he is "honored" by Trump's decision. “If confirmed by the Senate, I will continue the aggressive implementation of our National Defense Strategy," he said. "I remain committed to modernizing the force so our remarkable Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have everything they need to keep our military lethal and our country safe.” Fox News reported last month that Trump was expected to formally nominate Shanahan as his permanent defense secretary. Shanahan worked at Boeing for over 30 years before coming to the Pentagon as then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’s deputy at the start of the Trump administration. He has filled the role of acting defense secretary since Mattis' resignation last year. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP Shanahan spoke to reporters outside the Pentagon Thursday, telling them that his priorities moving forward are to "do the job." "The national defense strategy obviously is the high priority, but as you can tell there are real-world events that happen every day so you have to spin a lot of plates,” he said, before fielding questions on Iran and North Korea. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Patrick M. Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense, poses for his official portrait in the Army portrait studio at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, July 19, 2017. (U.S. Army photo by Monica King/Released) (CNN) — President Donald Trump intends to nominate acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to be his permanent pick to replace James Mattis at the Pentagon, according to a tweet from White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. “Based upon his outstanding service to the Country and his demonstrated ability to lead, President Trump intends to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan to be the Secretary of Defense,” Sanders said in a statement. Shortly after the announcement, Shanahan issued a statement saying he was “honored” to be chosen as the Pentagon’s permanent head. The former Boeing executive said in comments to reporters after the announcement that he had been informed of the decision earlier Thursday. “If confirmed by the Senate, I will continue the aggressive implementation of our National Defense Strategy,” Shanahan said in a statement. “I remain committed to modernizing the force so our remarkable Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have everything they need to keep our military lethal and our country safe.” Shanahan took over the job in an acting role following the December resignation of Mattis, who left the administration over a series of policy differences with Trump, particularly over the President’s initial decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. While Mattis had intended to stay on until the end of February in part to allow time for his successor to be named and confirmed, Trump, reportedly angry over the coverage of the’ resignation, decided to cut the transition period short, thrusting Shanahan into the role on January 1. Shanahan cleared a major hurdle blocking him from becoming Trump’s nominee last month when the Department of Defense’s inspector general cleared him of allegations he violated ethics agreements by promoting the interests of his former employer, Boeing. The White House and Pentagon had both indicated Shanahan could not be nominated until the IG investigation concluded. One White House official pointed to the IG report clearing Shanahan as the main hurdle that he had needed to clear to be tapped for the job. The official conceded that West Wing aides had anticipated that Shanahan would be nominated sooner than Thursday, as the report came out weeks ago. The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, perhaps previewing criticism Shanahan can expect to face in the confirmation process, said the permanent role would be a “very different job than his previous position.” “Serving as secretary of defense is an immense task and I look forward to hearing directly from the acting secretary during the confirmation process,” said Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island. Sen. Jim Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican who’s the committee chairman, issued a statement saying he was pleased with the nomination. “We need a confirmed leader at the department and, after working with him closely over the last few months, I welcome his selection,” Inhofe said. The announcement on Thursday came as the Trump administration faces foreign policy challenges on multiple fronts. On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would reduce commitments to the joint nuclear agreement – a year after Trump announced the US was withdrawing from the deal the Obama administration championed. The Trump administration has supported the efforts of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido in a standoff with the nation’s president, Nicolas Maduro, and just hours before the announcement, South Korea said North Korea had launched two suspected “short-range missiles.” In a nod to the global flashpoints, Shanahan said the biggest challenge he would face was “balancing it all.” “As you can tell, there are real world events that happen every day, so you have to spin a lot of plates,” Shanahan said at the Pentagon. White House debate CNN previously reported that Trump had told aides that he has been impressed by Shanahan’s tenure as acting secretary and was inclined to nominate him to formally take over the permanent role, one source close to the White House told CNN in late February. When some of his advisers suggested other candidates, Trump responded by saying he is inclined to keep Shanahan. A source close to the White House had said previously that Trump leaned toward nominating Shanahan to the post because he believed he would not push any particular policy agenda on the President – a major source of tension between Trump and Mattis. And while Mattis was largely seen as having the stature to push back against some of Trump’s nontraditional policies and ideas, Shanahan is seen as much less likely to do so. “This is the department of get stuff done,” Shanahan has reportedly said on multiple occasions. However, Thursday’s announcement was the result of lobbying by White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney as well. In March, some West Wing officials were no longer convinced Shanahan would get the defense secretary job. Shanahan and other administration officials, including Mulvaney, repeatedly pressed Trump to nominate him, with Shanahan arguing that he could not act at his fullest capacity if he was just acting secretary. But this pressure campaign annoyed Trump, sources said, and led him to begin quizzing people about who should become the permanent secretary. “Fine, tell me who to nominate,” Trump told one ally at the time. Once they realized he was not set on Shanahan, outside forces began pitching names to Trump, like Army Secretary Mark Esper and former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, though people close to Trump doubted he would ever get on board with Wilson because she was dismissive of Space Force. But Mulvaney succeeded in his efforts to get Shanahan nominated. He developed a liking for the former Boeing executive early on and advised the President he needed someone who was not a general. CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Jim Acosta, Barbara Starr and Jamie Crawford contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Acting Secretary of Defence Patrick M. Shanahan speaks during a joined statement with the German Defence Minister after the D-ISIS meeting of defence minsters at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof prior to the 55th Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, southern Germany, on Feb. 15, 2019. (Thomas Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images) President Trump to Nominate Patrick M. Shanahan as Defense Secretary: White House President Donald Trump intends to nominate acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan as the new Secretary of Defense, according to a White House press release. “Based upon his outstanding service to the Country and his demonstrated ability to lead, President Trump intends to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan to be the Secretary of Defense,” said White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Shanahan has previously served as deputy secretary of defense and vice president of supply chain and operations at Boeing. President Trump intends to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan as Secretary of Defense. pic.twitter.com/RaOXb09qMr — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) May 9, 2019 “Acting Secretary Shanahan has proven over the last several months that he is beyond qualified to lead the Department of Defense, and he will continue to do an excellent job,” said Sanders in the statement. Shortly after the announcement, Shanahan issued a statement saying he was “honored” to be chosen as the Pentagon’s permanent head. 1 of 2: I am honored by today’s announcement from @PressSec. If confirmed by the Senate, I will continue the aggressive implementation of our National Defense Strategy. — Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) May 9, 2019 “If confirmed by the Senate, I will continue the aggressive implementation of our National Defense Strategy,” Shanahan said. In another Tweet, he said: “I remain committed to modernizing the force so our remarkable Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have everything they need to keep our military lethal and our country safe.” 2 of 2: I remain committed to modernizing the force so our remarkable Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines have everything they need to keep our military lethal and our country safe. — Acting SecDef Pat Shanahan (@ActingSecDef) May 9, 2019 Speaking to reporters after his nomination, Shanahan expressed much enthusiasm. “I called my mom…I’m very excited,” he said. Shanahan took over the job in an acting capacity following the December resignation of Gen. Jim Mattis, who left the administration over a series of policy differences with Trump, particularly over the President’s initial decision to withdraw US troops from Syria. Patrick Shanahan on being nominated to be Secretary of Defense: “I called my mom…I’m very excited.” pic.twitter.com/LJhtB8K3El — CSPAN (@cspan) May 9, 2019 While Mattis had intended to stay on until the end of February, in part to allow time for his successor to be named and confirmed, Trump, reportedly angry over the coverage of Mattis’s resignation, decided to cut the transition period short, thrusting Shanahan into the role on Jan. 1. Shanahan cleared a major hurdle blocking him from becoming Trump’s nominee last month when the Department of Defense’s Inspector General cleared him of allegations that he violated ethics agreements by promoting the interests of his former employer, Boeing. CNN Wire Service Content contributed to this report.