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Donald Trump administration Secretary of the Army appointment, 2017
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Following his election as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump and his transition team considered individuals to fill the position of Secretary of the Army. Mark Esper was confirmed to the position on November 15, 2017, and sworn in as the 23rd Secretary of the Army on November 20, 2017.[1]
The secretary of the Army follows the direction of the secretary of defense on operations and activities regarding the responsibilities of the U.S. Army. For current information about officials within the U.S. Department of Defense, click here.
Timeline
The following timeline highlights noteworthy events related to this appointment.
- December 19, 2016: Trump nominated Vincent Viola for the position. Viola served as a Major in the U.S. Army and founded the trading firm Virtu Financial.[2]
- February 3, 2017: Viola withdrew his nomination. He cited a difficulty separating himself from his business ties.[3]
- April 1, 2017: Trump nominated then-Tennessee State Sen. Mark Green for the position.[4]
- May 5, 2017: Green withdrew his nomination. He cited opposition from advocacy groups and Democratic senators, saying that he did not want to be a distraction.[5]
- July 19, 2017: Trump nominated Mark Esper for the position. At the time of his nomination, Esper was a senior executive at Raytheon.[6]
- November 15, 2017: The U.S. Senate voted 89-6 to confirm Esper.[7]
- November 20, 2017: Esper was sworn in as the 23rd Secretary of the Army.[1]
Considered candidates for Secretary of the Army
The table below highlights individuals who were either nominated to the position by Trump or were mentioned in the media as potential nominees.
Trump nominated three individuals for this position. Two of the nominees withdrew from consideration, and the other was confirmed and sworn into office.
| Considered candidates for Secretary of the Army | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Notable experience | Source | |
| Van Hipp Jr. | Chairman of American Defense International | Politico | |
| Vincent Viola* | Founder of Virtu Financial | The New York Times | |
| Mark Green** | Tennessee State Senator | Knoxville News Sentinel | |
Mark Esper |
Senior Executive at the Raytheon Company | U.S. Army | |
| *Viola was nominated on December 19, 2016, but withdrew his nomination on February 3, 2017, citing difficulties separating himself from his businesses. **Green withdrew his nomination on May 5, 2017, after receiving criticism concerning his past comments about LGBT issues and Muslims. | |||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 U.S. Army, "Bio," accessed February 7, 2019
- ↑ Politico, "Trump picks businessman Viola as Army secretary," December 19, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Vincent Viola, Nominee for Army Secretary, Drops Out," February 3, 2017
- ↑ The Tennessean, "Trump to nominate Tennessee's Mark Green secretary of Army," April 2, 2017
- ↑ The Hill, "Trump Army secretary nominee withdraws amid fierce opposition," May 5, 2017
- ↑ Military Times, "Trump nominates Wilkie, Kurta to oversee Pentagon personnel issues," July 20, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Congress, "PN811 — Mark T. Esper — Department of Defense," accessed May 23, 2019
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