Esper Sworn-In as Trump’s Defense Secretary

Mark Esper was sworn in as Secretary of Defense Tuesday, July 23, ending the longest period that the Pentagon has been without a permanent top official.
The Senate backed Esper, a former soldier and lobbyist for weapons maker Raytheon Co., to be US President Donald Trump’s second confirmed leader of the Pentagon by 90-8.
Esper, 55, received strong bipartisan support despite some sharp questioning during his confirmation hearing by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren about his ties to Raytheon and his refusal to extend an ethics commitment he signed in 2017 to avoid decisions involving the company.
Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, was the only member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to voice opposition to Esper’s confirmation during the hearing. (Reuters)