Pentagon chief briefing irks lawmakers, draws expletives from Lindsey Graham
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan clashed with Sen. Lindsey Graham over the administrations Syria policy during a briefing last weekend, prompting the South Carolina Republican to unleash a string of expletives and declare himself Shanahan's "adversary," according to two officials in the briefing and three others familiar with the conversation.
The contentious briefing on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference rankled the bipartisan group of lawmakers and cast doubt over Shanahan's chances of confirmation if President Donald Trump nominates him to permanently lead the Pentagon, the officials said.
The episode highlighted Shanahans increasingly strained relationship with Capitol Hill two months after his predecessor Jim Mattis stepped down.
"He lost my confidence," one lawmaker said of Shanahan.
The briefing turned heated as Graham pressed Shanahan about the president's decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, according to the five officials.
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