News And Analysis On The Incoming Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan

The Hill: Five challenges awaiting Mattis's successor

Patrick Shanahan, who will become acting Defense secretary on Jan. 1, will immediately find himself with a full plate of challenges.

The issues that led to Defense Secretary James Mattis’s resignation — troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan — will still be fresh, with several questions about what comes next for Shanahan to answer.

Other geopolitical hotspots and domestic issues alike threaten to flare up shortly after Shanahan takes the reins. And there’s always the possibility of something unexpected emerging from President Trump or a volatile world scene.

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News And Analysis On The Incoming Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan

U.S. holds breath as ex-Boeing exec Shanahan, criticized for lack of foreign policy chops, takes Pentagon's reins -- AFP
During a time of chaos, the next Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan brings his corporate style to America's largest bureaucracy -- CNBC
After Mattis, Shanahan takes Pentagon helm at critical time -- AFP
Who Is Mattis' Replacement, Patrick Shanahan? -- NPR
The Trouble With Patrick Shanahan -- John Nichols, The Nation
Replacing Mattis: 4 Things Trump Needs In His Next Secretary of Defense -- National Interest
Meet the Pentagon’s Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, Known as a ‘Fix-It Guy’ -- Breitbart