Best Defense

Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Who will the next Sec Def be? I’d rather know who has turned the job down so far

I think the really interesting question about the next secretary of defense isn’t who gets it, but how many people turn down the job. I mean, with this White House staff, what is the upside of trying to run the Pentagon? Unless you have total White House backing in the first place, the job is ...

via  mike krzeszak/Flickr
via mike krzeszak/Flickr
via mike krzeszak/Flickr

I think the really interesting question about the next secretary of defense isn't who gets it, but how many people turn down the job.

I think the really interesting question about the next secretary of defense isn’t who gets it, but how many people turn down the job.

I mean, with this White House staff, what is the upside of trying to run the Pentagon? Unless you have total White House backing in the first place, the job is almost impossible. Without such a commitment, it is just a nightmare.

Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at ricksblogcomment@gmail.com. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.