“Now all that’s left is finding a new deputy defense secretary, an Air Force Secretary, an Army secretary…”
On this week’s Defense Nerds Podcast, Military Times Deputy Editor Leo Shane and Defense News Capitol Hill Bureau Chief Joe Gould talk about Defense Secretary nominee Mark Esper’s confirmation hearing, which was smooth sailing save for a shouting match with presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The pair break down what that confrontation means for Esper’s future and what his likely confirmation means for Pentagon leadership vacancies. They also talk about Turkey’s fight with the White House over the F-35 after their purchase of Russian air defense systems.
The reporters also use their in-depth military knowledge to plan out the soundtrack for the Top Gun sequel.
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Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
Joe Gould was the senior Pentagon reporter for Defense News, covering the intersection of national security policy, politics and the defense industry. He had previously served as Congress reporter.
