Politico | Joe Biden taps Trump appointee David Norquist to be his temporary defence secretary
- The confirmation of the US president-elect’s permanent nominee, retired general Lloyd Austin, has been delayed
- Norquist, the Pentagon’s No 2, will take over after Biden’s inauguration and be in charge until the Senate confirms Austin
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Lara Seligman on politico.com on January 14, 2021.
US president-elect Joe Biden is tapping current Deputy Defence Secretary David Norquist to temporarily run the Pentagon while the new team works to confirm a permanent defence chief, according to four people familiar with discussions.
Norquist, the Pentagon’s No 2 since July 2019, will take over after the inauguration and be in charge until the Senate confirms retired army general Lloyd Austin for the position.
Austin’s confirmation has been delayed as the next administration seeks a waiver for him to serve, which must be approved by both houses of Congress. Retired officers are required to be out of uniform for seven years before becoming defence secretary, and Austin retired in 2016.
As the No 2 at the Pentagon who has served under three of President Donald Trump’s defence secretaries, Norquist was the expected choice to lead the Pentagon through the transition. A budget wonk who served as DoD comptroller under former defence secretary James Mattis, Norquist has managed to stay out of the spotlight throughout the duration of the Trump administration.
