Trump Denies Reported Plan to Pick Webb as Defense Chief

January 6, 2019

Washington--U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday denied a New York Times report that his administration is considering picking Jim Webb, a former Democratic senator, who is known as an opponent of the Iraq war and well versed in Japan affairs, as the next defense secretary to succeed Jim Mattis.

Quoting some administration officials, the daily reported in its Thursday online edition that Webb is considered as the next U.S. defense chief as Trump seeks to carry out his campaign promises to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

The New York Times story is "fake news," Trump said on Twitter. "I'm sure he (Webb) is a fine man, but I don't know Jim, and (have) never met him," Trump added.

Patrick Shanahan, who is serving as acting defense secretary, "is doing a great job," Trump also said.

Mattis, who opposes the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, quit as defense secretary at the end of 2018.

During his tenure as senator, Webb called for a review of the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma air station in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to the Henoko coastal district in the city of Nago in the same southernmost Japan prefecture. Jiji Press