Washington: US Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has left the Pentagon, bidding farewell to staff after resigning from the job earlier in the week.
Shanahan, stepped down, saying he wanted to spare his family a public airing of domestic problems linked to his messy divorce nearly a decade ago.
Trump said months ago he would nominate Shanahan for the defense job and seek his Senate confirmation but he never did.
Officials said repeatedly that the vetting of Shanahan was dragging on.
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Trump immediately named his replacement, Army Secretary Mark Esper, but because of limitations laid out in court decisions and legislation governing how top vacancies are filled, he may only be able to serve for six weeks.
