Joe Biden’s Pentagon pick sends a message
Nominee for Secretary Of Defense General Lloyd Austin (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Published 11 Dec 2020 12:00 0 Comments
When President-elect Joe Biden announced retired General Lloyd Austin as his pick for Secretary of Defense this week, US experts were perplexed and decidedly unenthusiastic. Austin’s nomination will require a waiver from Congress, because he has only been separated from the military for four years, not the seven required under law before military officers can serve as Defense Secretary.
Why would a President-elect dedicated to leading a post-Trump restoration of political norms want to weaken the civilian side of the Pentagon? Why not choose another barrier-breaking candidate better suited to ensure the proper role of civilian expertise in the Defense Department after four tumultuous years?