White House holding up DoD nomination amid Trump loyalty purge
Source: Politico
The White House is holding up the nomination for one of the Pentagon’s top intelligence jobs because the official is not considered sufficiently loyal to the president, according to three current and former administration officials.
Kathryn Wheelbarger, who has been serving as acting assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs since November 2018, would become the deputy undersecretary of Defense for intelligence if the nomination moves forward. But the holdup comes as President Donald Trump continues a post-impeachment loyalty purge that has already felled two senior Pentagon officials in recent weeks.
The post that Wheelbarger would fill is one of 21 senior positions at the Pentagon that are empty or filled on a temporary basis, a record high for the Trump administration. Lawmakers have raised concerns in recent weeks that the department doesn't have enough qualified people in place to tackle the nation's biggest national security problems as it faces a host of crises, from the spread of the coronavirus to a new spike in tensions with Iran.
The White House announced its intent to nominate Wheelbarger for the No. 2 position at the Pentagon overseeing military intelligence on Feb. 13, but it has not yet submitted her paperwork to the Senate, a spokesperson for the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/13/defense-nomination-trump-loyalty-128244