defense secretary

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Defense pick Peter Hegseth paid accuser to protect his career, his lawyer confirms

7:07pm November 18, 2024

The now-former Fox News host reached a settlement to resolve an accusation against him, but a recently released memo brought the issue back into the public eye.

Austin speaks last month in Wilmington, Del., after being formally nominated as defense secretary.

Lloyd Austin Confirmed As Defense Secretary, Becomes 1st Black Pentagon Chief

3:35pm January 22, 2021

by Brakkton Booker

Austin's near-unanimous confirmation came despite concerns raised on both sides of the aisle that he hadn't been out of uniform for the legally mandated minimum seven-year period.

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on July 9 in Washington, D.C.

Trump 'Terminates' Secretary Of Defense Mark Esper

2:50pm November 09, 2020

by Tom Bowman

Secretary Esper has kept a letter of resignation on hand since the summer, when he and the president disagreed over the use of active duty troops to put down street protests.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, pictured last month, spoke with his Chinese counterpart Thursday amid strained relations between the two countries.

Pentagon Chief Esper Talks With Chinese Counterpart As Tensions Soar

7:30pm August 06, 2020

by David Welna

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his Chinese counterpart lectured one another in a 90-minute call as the highest level U.S. delegation in four decades plans a provocative visit to Taiwan.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in May. She wants an Army officer who testified at Trump impeachment hearings to get his promotion.

Senator Puts Rare Hold On Military Promotions Over Ousted Army Officer

10:57pm July 02, 2020

by David Welna

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified in impeachment hearings. He's been due for promotion to the rank of full colonel, but that has not happened. Sen. Tammy Duckworth wants assurances that it will.

Active Duty Troops On Standby Outside Washington, D.C., Being Sent Back To Home Bases

6:06pm June 05, 2020

by David Welna

Some 1,600 troops airlifted for possible deployment in the nation's capital are returning to their home bases, after President Trump failed to invoke the law required for using such forces.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper (left) speaks as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley listens during a briefing at the Pentagon on Monday.

Defense Secretary Gives Go-Ahead For U.S. Troops To Start Afghan Drawdown

3:26pm March 02, 2020

by David Welna

A peace deal signed with the Taliban calls for 4,000 of the approximately 13,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan to leave within 135 days and for all U.S. troops to be out within 14 months.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte meets Defense Secretary Jim Mattis Oct. 24 at the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers' Meeting at the former Clark Air Base outside Manila.

With Mattis Trip To Philippines, Reminders Of Waning U.S. Influence In Region

1:37pm October 25, 2017

by David Welna

Soon after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived, Manila announced the end of an ISIS-inspired insurgency in Marawi. But there was no mention of significant U.S. support in the months-long operation.

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President Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis speak on Inauguration Day. Mattis travels to South Korea and Japan this week in the administration's first major foreign trip.

World News

The 'America First' President Sends His Defense Secretary To Asia

8:21am February 01, 2017

by Elise Hu

This week Defense Secretary James Mattis takes his first overseas trip, to South Korea and Japan. The U.S. allies are eager to hear what he has to say.

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President-elect Donald Trump speaks alongside retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis after the two met in Bedminster Township, N.J., in late November.

Politics & Government

Trump Picks Gen. James Mattis As His Defense Secretary

9:12pm December 01, 2016

by Bill Chappell

President-elect Donald Trump has now chosen nominees for nearly half of the Cabinet-level jobs in his incoming administration.