Robert Salesses picked as acting defense secretary before Pete Hegseth gets confirmed

Published January 20, 2025 2:13pm ET



Robert Salesses will serve as the acting secretary of defense until President Donald Trump‘s nominee, Pete Hegseth, gets confirmed by the Senate, which is expected to occur later this week.

Salesses, a retired Marine Corps officer, was the deputy director of Washington Headquarters Services prior to getting selected to serve as the interim leader of the military.

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