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It’s Esper’s Pentagon now. Job one is getting more civilians in top posts

By Jamie McIntyre
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It’s Esper’s Pentagon now. Job one is getting more civilians in top posts

CONFIRMED!: There will likely be a little extra spring in his step as Mark Esper ascends the stairs at the Pentagon’s River Entrance around 7:30 this morning. Esper coasted to easy confirmation on a strong bipartisan 90-8 vote on the Senate floor just after noon yesterday.

As was the case when Esper became acting defense secretary in June, there will be TV cameras and pool reporters to record his arrival as he takes over as President Trump’s second defense secretary, filling a nearly seven-month gap created when Jim Mattis resigned over irreconcilable policy differences with Trump in December and Patrick Shanahan stepped aside over personal issues.

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