Mark Green, President Trump's second nominee for Army secretary, withdrew his nomination Friday. Trump previously nominated Army veteran and billionaire Vincent Viola to the position, but Viola withdrew from consideration in February due to ethics concerns related to his business.
Green had been plagued by recent reports of controversial comments he'd made in the past, including that government-assisted health care is an "injustice" because an individual will "look to the government for the answer, not God. ... I think it interrupts the opportunity for people to come to a saving knowledge of who God is." Green had also publicly opposed same-sex marriage and expressed transphobic views, the Washington Examiner reports.
In a statement Friday announcing his decision, Green lamented that his "life of public service and [his] Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain." Read his full statement below. Kimberly Alters