Trump names acting defense secretary with Hegseth not yet confirmed

Source: Associated Press

Trump names acting defense secretary with Hegseth not yet confirmed

By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR
Updated 2:39 PM EST, January 20, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has named an acting defense secretary because his choice to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Robert Salesses, deputy director of the Pentagon’s Washington Headquarters Service, will fill in as acting secretary of defense, two officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an announcement that was not yet public.

To serve in the post, the incoming Trump administration needed a senior executive at the Pentagon who has already been confirmed by the Senate. Salesses is a retired Marine who served in the Gulf War and earned a Bronze Star.

He had been leading the Washington Headquarters Service, which includes all of the capital region support services, including facilities management and the office of general counsel and others that support the military branches and Pentagon leadership.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-pentagon-defense-secretary-hegseth-7bf18dfaaa53e3e75a76e3fd768a7fdd