Green withdraws

Green withdraws as Army secretary pick

By CONNOR O’BRIEN

President Donald Trump's pick to be Army secretary, Mark Green, has withdrawn from consideration in the face of mounting opposition over controversial statements about Muslims and LGBT rights.

Green is the second person to withdraw from the position. Trump's initial choice, Vincent Viola, a billionaire New York financier, withdrew in early February amid difficulty untangling his finances.

In a statement, Green blamed Democrats' misrepresentations of his religious beliefs, which he argued came at the expense of his qualifications for the Army's top civilian post.

"Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain," Green said.

"While these false attacks have no bearing on the needs of the Army or my qualifications to serve," he added. "I believe it is critical to give the president the ability to move forward with his vision to restore our military to its rightful place in the world."

In recent days, several Democratic lawmakers have announced their opposition to Green's pending nomination or demanded Trump withdraw his pick, arguing Green's statements were too divisive for him to serve effectively.

Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) also said he had concerns about Green, though he pledged to pursue a confirmation hearing should the administration decide to move forward with the nomination.

Green is as a Republican state senator in Tennessee. A 1986 graduate of West Point, he served as an Army special operations flight surgeon during the Iraq War.

In 2003, Green interviewed former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein after the late Iraqi dictator's capture by U.S. special forces and later penned a book on the encounter titled, “A Night with Saddam.”