The Pentagon has parted ways with White House liaison James O’Beirne in a shakeup that directly affects selection of presidential appointees for the Defense Department.
The details of O’Beirne’s departure were not immediately clear, and it’s also unclear if newly confirmed Defense Secretary Mark Esper, a former arms industry lobbyist, made the decision.
A source said O’Beirne learned late last week he was out of a job after working in the role for about two years.
The position entails working with the White House Office of Presidential Personnel to select appointees for the department.
O’Beirne, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and husband of late National Review journalist Kate O’Beirne, previously was DoD White House liaison under President George W. Bush.
O’Beirne was not well-known among the rapidly cycling Trump White House staff, but those who know him saw him as an experienced, steady hand.
“Never heard a bad word about him,” said one former White House official, who did not personally know O’Beirne well.
Another former White House official said they had “no idea” about the quality of O’Beirne’s work, but added: “You do know two years is a long time for a White House-related job, right?
O’Beirne’s departure caught some close to the White House off-guard — in part because he was seen as a potential future leader of the White House personnel office, with which he liaised. The powerful office selects and vets candidates for 4,000 jobs across the Trump administration.
The office has been beset by criticism for a frat-house environment and alleged snide remarks about President Trump’s grassroots base. In what was viewed as a failure of the office’s vetting duties, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan withdrew his nomination to fill the role permanently in June after news reports about domestic violence in his family.
Esper, previously secretary of the Army, was confirmed by the Senate July 23.
NASA Chief Financial Officer Jeff Dewit, a favorite among early Trump campaign hands, has also been widely discussed as a potential personnel office director. The office currently is led by Sean Doocey, a well-liked but young aide who took over the role before he turned 30.
Doocey is regarded as close to White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and there’s no indication his departure is imminent.
O’Beirne did not respond to a request for comment. The White House and Defense Department did not offer comment on O’Beirne’s departure or his replacement.
