Trump’s defense pick withdraws, discusses violent domestic incidents with The Post
Acting defense secretary Patrick Shanahan withdrew from consideration for the Defense Department’s top post Tuesday, President Trump said, plunging the Pentagon into leadership upheaval for the second time in six months.
Shanahan pulled himself out of the running as media organizations including The Washington Post published reports shedding light for the first time on details of Shanahan’s contentious divorce, including a 2010 domestic dispute and his role in an incident in which his son attacked his ex-wife with a baseball bat.
Aaron Davis is an investigative reporter with The Post. He spoke with Shanahan about his family history.
More on this topic:
- As Trump’s defense pick withdraws, he addresses violent domestic incidents
- Acting defense secretary bows out of running to be confirmed as Pentagon chief
Trump vows mass deportations starting next week
On Monday night, President Trump tweeted that next week, ICE will “begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States.”
Maria Sacchetti covers immigration for The Post, and she’s been reporting on efforts within the administration to arrest and remove thousands of families whose deportation orders were expedited by the Justice Department this year. She explains that it’s “unthinkable” that the president is tweeting about a large-scale ICE enforcement operation before it happens. But it’s also unclear whether this operation will be carried out in the way the president says.
More on this topic:
- Trump vows mass immigration arrests, removals of ‘millions of illegal aliens’ starting next week
- ‘The American Dream has turned into hell’: In test of a deterrent, Juarez scrambles before U.S. dumps thousands of migrants
Descending the golden escalator
As President Trump prepares to launch his reelection campaign Tuesday night, a look back at the stranger-than-fiction moment that launched his 2016 campaign.
Ashley Parker covers the White House for The Post, and she tells the story behind that memorable moment.
More on this topic:
- ‘I’m going down the escalator’: Inside the Trump Tower spectacle that launched a presidency
- Trump to officially kick off his reelection bid Tuesday night in Orlando
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