Trump to Pick Loyalist Patrick Shanahan as Defense Secretary
- Former Boeing executive tapped to replace Mattis at Pentagon
- Shanahan has backed Trump’s move to use troops at border
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President Donald Trump plans to nominate Patrick Shanahan, his acting Pentagon chief and a former Boeing Co. executive, as defense secretary to succeed Jim Mattis, who quit in December.
“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,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Thursday in a statement on Twitter.