Reports: Obama to nominate Ashton Carter for defense secretary

President Obama will nominate former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter for the Pentagon's top job, according to multiple reports. The Associated Press and The Washington Post say Obama has picked Carter, while CNN reported earlier Tuesday that Carter is the likely nominee.

Carter served as Deputy Defense Secretary from October 2011 to December 2013 before joining Stanford as a lecturer. He left the Pentagon due to a rift with Hagel, writing in a resignation letter, "It is time for me to go."

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced his resignation last week under pressure from the White House. He will remain in office until a successor is in place.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up