AFGHANISTAN/CABINET/DEFENSE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Patrick Shanahan was thrust into the spotlight during his debut as acting U.S. defense secretary on Wednesday [1-2-19], sitting next to President Donald Trump as he publicly disparaged Shanahan’s predecessor, lampooned the war in Afghanistan and called Syria a land of ‘sand’ and ‘death.’ The former deputy defense secretary officially took office during the New Year’s holiday on Tuesday [1-1-19], issuing a statement saying that he looked ‘forward to working with President Trump to carry out his vision.’ Trump’s vision for the second half of his four-year term in office came into view on Wednesday as he spoke exhaustively during a cabinet meeting about America’s wars, and his displeasure with them. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, sat silently at Trump’s side, often expressionless, as television cameras rolled.”
–Reuters, “For Shanahan, a Very Public Debut in Trump’s Cabinet,” The New York Times online, January 2, 2019