Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) criticized new Pentagon Chief of Staff Derek Chollet as “absolutely unqualified” on Monday, urging Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to “reconsider” his pick for third officer of the department.
Austin named Chollet, currently a senior adviser at the State Department, as the Pentagon’s new chief of staff on Monday, replacing Kelly Magsamen.
“He is absolutely not qualified for this position,” McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement. first shared with Politico.
“With the many national security threats facing this country, we need real leadership at the Department of Defense – and Derek Chollet is not that,” he continued. “I strongly urge the secretary to reconsider this measure.”
The president cited his commission’s investigation into the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, for which Chollet testified.
“His lack of candor in my committee’s transcribed interview, along with his flippant public comments about his work at the State Department, make it clear that he is neither a serious nor trustworthy person,” McCaul said.
Chollet was previously named Under Secretary of Defense for Policy last year, though he was stalled for months due to GOP opposition. Since an initial hearing in September, which featured exhaustive questioning from skeptical Republicans, there have been no votes to move forward with his nomination.
Cabinet officials praised Chollet’s work in announcing his move to the Pentagon on Monday.
“He is one of the most distinguished, insightful and skilled national security professionals of his generation, and I am grateful to him for taking on this important task at such an important time,” Austin said in a statement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Chollet as someone who has provided “sage advice and a steady hand” as an important diplomatic figure over the past nine months since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
