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BumRushDaShow

(156,196 posts)
Fri May 9, 2025, 03:12 PM May 9

White House to take choice of Pentagon chief of staff out of Hegseth's hands [View all]

Source: The Guardian

Fri 9 May 2025 14.58 EDT


Exasperated by the turmoil that has dogged Pete Hegseth’s office in recent weeks, the White House will block the US defense secretary’s choice of chief of staff and select a candidate of its own, according to two people familiar with the matter. Hegseth had suggested giving the chief of staff position to Marine Col Ricky Buria after the first person in the role, Joe Kasper, left last month in the wake of a contentious leak investigation that brought the ouster of three other senior aides.

But the White House has made clear to Hegseth that Buria will not be elevated to become his most senior aide at the Pentagon, the people said, casting Buria as a liability on account of his limited experience as a junior military assistant and his recurring role in internal office drama. “Ricky will not be getting the chief position,” one of the people directly familiar with deliberations said. “He doesn’t have adequate experience, lacks the political chops and is widely disliked by almost everyone in the White House who has been exposed to him.”

The White House has always selected political appointees at agencies through the presidential personnel office, but the move to block Hegseth’s choice at this juncture is unusual and reflects Donald Trump’s intent to keep Hegseth by trying to insulate him from any more missteps.

The intervention comes at a time when Hegseth’s ability to run the Pentagon has come under scrutiny. It also runs into the belief inside Trump’s orbit that even the president might struggle to justify Hegseth’s survival if the secretary does not have a scandal-free next few months.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/09/white-house-pentagon-hegseth-chief-of-staff

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Whomever Trump chooses would be at least as bad as Kegbreath's pick. Ocelot II May 9 #1
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph gab13by13 May 9 #2
I was thinking that Putin wanted someone he could trust. Ursus Rex May 9 #12
"He doesn't have adequate experience ..." Well, neither does Hegseth or at least half of Trump's appointees. Jim__ May 9 #3
Reading today that there are 23 former Fox "News" people slightlv May 9 #19
Interesting odins folly May 9 #4
"He doesn't have adequate experience, lacks the political chops and is widely disliked by almost everyone in the White H Demovictory9 May 9 #5
widely disliked by almost everyone in the White House who has been exposed to him." underpants May 10 #27
"He doesn't have adequate experience, lacks the political chops and is widely disliked by almost everyone in the White H Demovictory9 May 9 #6
Yeah, as if adequate experience and "political chops" have been qualifications, so far. Paladin May 9 #7
"and is widely disliked by almost everyone in the White House who has been exposed to him." ToxMarz May 9 #8
The G.O.P, put a five time draft-dodging casino hustler in as 'commander-in-thief' BoRaGard May 9 #9
I'll just leave this here... Javaman May 9 #10
Maybe they can get him a sobriety coach... johnnyplankton May 9 #11
That's his wife RainCaster May 10 #28
Good point. johnnyplankton May 10 #30
One has to wonder... jmowreader May 9 #13
If even they don't trust him C_U_L8R May 9 #14
Embarrassing Prairie Gates May 9 #15
Because drunky mcPuke shoes can't be trusted to make the right choice. Buddyzbuddy May 9 #16
Soon... Godot51 May 9 #17
Paranoid, Donny? orangecrush May 9 #18
So, Hegseth isn't trusted and competent enough to pick his own chief of staff, but apparently,... LudwigPastorius May 9 #20
"Ricky Buria, the New York Post reported Friday,has called some of Vance's views 'wackamamie crazy' and 'isolationist.'" Eugene May 9 #21
Ah, now we have the reason--Biden holdover, critical of Vance. Lonestarblue May 10 #23
LOL Skittles May 9 #22
re: "reflects Donald Trump's intent to keep Hegseth by trying to insulate him from any more missteps" --- thesquanderer May 10 #24
Why? Was he about to hire someone normal? travelingthrulife May 10 #25
Taking the keys away from the DUI hire already BeyondGeography May 10 #26
While they're at it, they should take the glass of gin out of his hands. patphil May 10 #29
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