WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that Patrick Shanahan will serve as acting US Secretary of Defense from January 1.
The US President took to Twitter, saying, "I am pleased to announce that our very talented Deputy Secretary of Defense, Patrick Shanahan, will assume the title of Acting Secretary of Defense starting January 1, 2019. Patrick has a long list of accomplishments while serving as Deputy, & previously Boeing. He will be great!"
Shanahan is currently holding the office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense. The announcement comes days after James Mattis stepped down as the US Secretary of Defense on December 21. Mattis is scheduled to leave the office in February next year.
Mattis resigned after Trump hinted at the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, thereby declaring the defeat of ISIS.
"Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis wrote in his resignation letter.(ANI)