It's Not Clear Who Will Lead The Pentagon When Trump Takes Office. What Happens Then?

As of Friday, officials said they had not yet heard who will become the acting defense secretary.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It is unclear who will take over at the Pentagon and the military services when the top leaders all step down Monday as President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office.

As of Friday, officials said they had not yet heard who will become the acting defense secretary. Officials said the military chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force were getting ready to step in as acting service secretaries — a rare move — because no civilians had been named or, in some cases, had turned down the opportunity.

As is customary, all current political appointees will step down as of noon EST on Inauguration Day, leaving hundreds of key defense posts open, including dozens that require Senate confirmation. In addition to the top job and all three service secretaries, all of their deputies and senior policy staff will leave.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to vote Monday on Trump’s choice to head the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, but the full Senate vote may not happen until days later. As a result someone from the Biden administration would have to take over temporarily.

For the service secretaries, officials said that while things could still change before the inauguration, the Trump team is eyeing Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, to be that service’s temporary head. They said Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy chief, are aware they may have to step in if no civilian is named as acting secretary, and they are preparing for that possibility.