New Pentagon chief Mark Esper’s mission: confront ‘growing threats’ from China, manage impulsive Trump

Mark Esper’s confirmation adds some stability to Trump’s national security team after a long vacancy

He will also be steering US defence strategy as it shifts to confront China and Russia as the department’s main challenges

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Speaking at a swearing-in ceremony at the White House, President Donald Trump said: ‘I am confident that he will be an outstanding secretary of defence’. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 10:36am, 24 Jul 2019Updated: 11:11pm, 24 Jul 2019

Former soldier Mark Esper was sworn in as US secretary of defence Tuesday after earning Senate confirmation, filling America’s longest-ever Pentagon leadership vacuum as it faces mounting tensions with Iran while locked in strategic competition with China.

US President Donald Trump’s second Defence Department chief takes over nearly seven months after the shock departure of James Mattis, the deeply respected career US Marine who broke with Trump over policy on the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Two others were made acting defence secretary this year to fill the void – including Patrick Shanahan, who served a six-month temporary stint but resigned for family reasons in June and withdrew from consideration for the full-time top post.

Esper sailed through the confirmation process at lightning speed. He earned broad bipartisan support and was confirmed by a vote of 90 to 8.

Later Tuesday, he was sworn in at an Oval Office ceremony attended by several Senate Republicans and Trump, who called it “a very important day” for the nation.

“There is no one more qualified to lead the Department of Defence,” the president said.

Esper steps into the top Pentagon job with a long list of crises on his plate.