Pentagon officials reportedly 'stunned' as acting Defense secretary halts Biden transition briefings

(Image credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

published 18 December 2020

Pentagon officials have been left "stunned" after acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller ordered a "Pentagon-wide halt to cooperation" with President-elect Joe Biden's transition, Axios reports.

Miller, according to the report, on Thursday night ordered officials to cancel transition meetings that had previously been scheduled, "which stunned officials throughout the Pentagon." Officials reportedly were not clear on what led to the decision, and Axios says a top Biden official wasn't aware of the order.

A senior Defense Department official told Axios this was a "simple delay of the last few scheduled meetings until after the new year," saying they had "fewer than two dozen remaining meetings on the schedule today and next week" and staff was "overwhelmed by the number of meetings." The official added, "With the holidays we are taking a knee for two weeks. We are still committed to a productive transition."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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