President Obama will nominate Ashton Carter to be his next secretary of defense on Friday.
The White House on Thursday revealed the timing of Obama’s announcement but did not publicly say the president would choose Carter. However, multiple sources familiar with the president’s decision have told the Washington Examiner that Carter, the former deputy defense secretary, is Obama’s choice to lead the Pentagon.
The expected selection of Carter comes after Obama forced out Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who fell out of favor with the White House and complained about being micro-managed by the president’s inner circle.
Obama’s former defense secretaries, Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, expressed similar complaints about the president’s national security team.
Carter, a policy wonk who once served as the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, is expected to face an easy Senate confirmation.
Carter was the last candidate left standing after a number of people on the White House’s short list, including Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said they didn’t want the position.
In the unenviable job, Carter will be tasked with leading the administration’s campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and countering Russian aggressions in Ukraine, among other challenges.
