The White House on Saturday shot down reports that President Trump’s choice to serve as the next Navy secretary is stepping down.
Major Garrett, CBS’ White House correspondent, tweeted that he was told by “two people familiar with the matter” that Philip Bilden is “likely to withdraw” as soon as this weekend.
But White House press secretary Sean Spicer flatly rejected that Bilden was considering removing himself from consideration.
“Those people would be wrong. Just spoke with him and he is 100% commited[sic] to being the next SECNAV pending Senate confirm,” Spicer wrote on Twitter.
Bilden is a former Army officer who serves as head of a private equity firm. He was picked to be the next Navy secretary in late January.
If Bilden does withdraw, he’d be the second service secretary to do so. Vincent Viola, who Trump had nominated to serve as secretary of the Army, announced that he was withdrawing earlier this month over difficulties navigating the rules regarding his family business and the Department of Defense.
