{"id":2148580,"date":"2024-01-14T07:13:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-14T12:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-could-be-bidens-or-trumps-next-secretary-of-defense\/"},"modified":"2024-01-14T07:16:16","modified_gmt":"2024-01-14T12:16:16","slug":"who-could-be-bidens-or-trumps-next-secretary-of-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-could-be-bidens-or-trumps-next-secretary-of-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Possible candidates for Biden&#8217;s or Trump&#8217;s next secretary of defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwho-could-be-bidens-or-trumps-next-secretary-of-defense%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2148580&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Exploring Potential Defense Secretaries for\u200b Biden\u2063 and Trump<\/h2>\n<p>As every presidential administration selects its new Cabinet members, \u200dthe focus now\u2063 turns to the secretary of defense.\u200d With\u2064 heightened\u200c scrutiny around\u2064 Defense Secretary\u2062 Lloyd Austin\u2019s health \u2063and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/last-watergate-baby-sen-leahy-81-likely-seeking-9th-term\/\" title=\"Last 'Watergate Baby' Sen. Leahy, 81, Likely Seeking 9th Term\">upcoming election year<\/a>,\u200c discussions about his\u200b successor\u2063 have begun to mount.<\/p>\n<h3>Biden\u2019s Top\u2064 Contenders:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Kathleen Hicks:<\/strong> \u2062Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is a \u2062top choice and a natural successor to\u200b Austin. With a background in the Defense Department, Hicks has\u2062 already made history as \u200cthe first woman appointed \u2063to second in\u2063 command. If selected as defense secretary\u200c under Biden, she would be the first woman appointed to the role.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Christine Wormuth:<\/strong> \u2062Secretary of the Army\u2064 Christine \u200cWormuth is another strong contender. She has already made history as the first female to serve in her position and has received accolades \u2062for her work leading the Army.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Michele Flournoy:<\/strong> \u2062Although she\u2063 was at the top of \u2062Biden\u2019s list for his \u2064first defense secretary, Flournoy may be further down the\u200b list\u200b in 2024 due to clashes in policy. \u200bHowever, \u2062as a civilian expert in defense and national security, she remains a\u2062 top choice.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jeh Johnson:<\/strong> \u200bIf Biden selects a man for the role, \u200bJeh Johnson appears more than \u2064qualified. He served as\u200c the secretary \u200bof homeland security during Obama\u2019s second term and has experience working as a general counsel for the Department of Defense.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s Potential \u200bNominees:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Christopher Miller:<\/strong> Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher \u2063Miller is a top contender \u200cfor the position \u2062in another Trump administration. \u2064Trump praised Miller&#8217;s \u2063performance during his previous term.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Robert O\u2019Brien:<\/strong> Former national \u200bsecurity adviser Robert O\u2019Brien is\u200c also a potential choice. While he has\u200b expressed interest in other positions, O\u2019Brien \u2062has been\u2064 critical of the Biden administration\u2019s response to recent attacks against\u200c U.S. forces.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Other Potential Contenders:<\/strong> Other \u200dpotential contenders for Trump\u2019s appointment include \u2062Sen. Tom Cotton, a former Army infantry officer, and John \u2063Ratcliffe, Trump\u2019s former director of national intelligence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dean-phillips-breaks-with-biden-to-support-reparations-plans\/\" title=\"Dean Phillips supports reparations plans, breaking with Biden\">presidential primary season approaches<\/a>, both \u2062Biden and Trump\u200b have\u2063 a\u200d range of qualified candidates to consider for the crucial role of \u200bdefense secretary.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200b In what ways does Tammy \u200dDuckworth&#8217;s combat experience and \u2063role\u200b on\u200d the Senate Armed Services Committee make her a unique and impactful candidate for the role of Defense \u200cSecretary<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Extensive knowledge and experience in national security and defense issues. She has served in\u2064 various roles within the department, including\u2064 Principal Deputy \u200bUnder Secretary of Defense for Policy during the Obama\u2063 administration.\u200d Hicks is highly regarded for her \u200cstrategic thinking and ability to \u2064navigate complex policy challenges. Her appointment would signal a continuation of\u200b the Biden administration&#8217;s commitment to \u200ba strong\u200c and \u2063stable defense posture.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Michele Flournoy:<\/strong> Another strong\u200c contender for the position is Michele Flournoy, who previously served \u2064as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy during the Obama administration. Flournoy is widely respected\u200c for her \u2062expertise in defense strategy and has been a vocal advocate for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/australia-continues-us-defence-spend-with-1-3-billion-tomahawk-missile-buy\/\" title=\"Australia to spend .3 billion on Tomahawk missiles for US defence.\">increasing military capabilities<\/a> to \u200caddress\u200d emerging threats. Her deep understanding of Pentagon operations \u2064and her track record of working effectively with international partners make her\u2064 a compelling choice to lead the Department of Defense.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tammy Duckworth:<\/strong> Senator Tammy Duckworth is also being considered for the role of Defense Secretary. As a combat veteran and member \u200dof \u2063the Senate \u2063Armed Services Committee, \u2062Duckworth brings \u200ca unique perspective and firsthand experience to the table. She has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration&#8217;s defense policies and has advocated \u2064for increased\u200c investments in military readiness and\u2062 modernization. Duckworth&#8217;s\u200c nomination would represent a\u2062 historic milestone as she could become the \u2062first woman to hold the position of Defense Secretary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s Potential Candidates:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Tom Cotton:<\/strong> Senator Tom Cotton is often mentioned\u2063 as a potential candidate\u200d for Defense Secretary in a Trump administration. \u200dCotton has a \u200bstrong \u2064background in military affairs, having served as an infantry officer in the US Army.\u2063 He has been a vocal supporter \u2062of a robust defense budget and \u200da more assertive approach to foreign policy.\u200c Cotton&#8217;s conservative credentials and his alignment with\u2064 Trump&#8217;s policies would make him a popular choice \u200damong the \u200cPresident&#8217;s supporters.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Elaine Chao:<\/strong> Another name that has \u200dbeen floated is \u200bElaine Chao, who currently serves as\u2063 the Secretary of Transportation. Chao has extensive experience in government, having previously served as\u2064 the Secretary of Labor \u2063under President George W. Bush. Although her background \u200cis \u200dnot specifically in defense,\u200d Chao&#8217;s \u200ctenure at the Department of Transportation has exposed her \u2064to national security issues, particularly in the context\u2063 of securing critical transportation \u200dinfrastructure. Her nomination \u200dwould \u200bhighlight the administration&#8217;s focus on infrastructure security as\u2062 a key component \u200bof\u2063 national defense.<\/li>\n<li><strong>John\u200d Ratcliffe:<\/strong> John Ratcliffe, the\u200c current Director \u200dof National Intelligence, is another possible candidate \u2064for Defense Secretary. Ratcliffe has\u2063 a\u2062 background in law \u200cenforcement \u200dand national security, having previously served\u2063 as a federal prosecutor and as a member of the House Intelligence Committee. His experience in intelligence and counterterrorism would bring a valuable \u2062perspective to the\u200d role of Defense Secretary. Ratcliffe&#8217;s\u2063 nomination would also demonstrate\u2064 the administration&#8217;s\u200d emphasis on a\u200c comprehensive and integrated approach to \u2063national security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ultimately, the selection of a\u200c new Defense Secretary is a critical decision\u2063 that will shape the nation&#8217;s defense priorities and strategies. Both President-elect Biden and President Trump \u2063will have the opportunity \u2064to choose a candidate who aligns with their vision for\u2064 the \u2064future of the United States&#8217; defense posture. The individuals mentioned \u2062here \u200crepresent only a fraction of the potential contenders, \u2062and the final decision\u200d will likely\u2064 take into account numerous factors, including qualifications, \u2064experience, and political considerations. As \u2064the process unfolds, all eyes will be on the choice \u200bfor\u2062 Defense Secretary as it sets the tone for the administration&#8217;s approach to national\u2064 security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every administration, including reelected presidents, chooses new Cabinet members. The secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, faces increased scrutiny over his health and discussions about his replacement have started. Former President Donald Trump enters the presidential primary season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2643,"featured_media":2148581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2148580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2643"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2148580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148580\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2148581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2148580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2148580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2148580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}