Think the Deep State has stopped its nefarious activities to deny Trump a well functioning team? For Kavanaugh they went back 30 years; hear nine.

Patrick Shanahan withdraws as defense secretary nominee

​Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has withdrawn his nomination to lead the Pentagon, President Trump tweeted on Tuesday.

“Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who has done a wonderful job, has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process so that he can devote more time to his family​,” the president said in the posting.

​”I thank Pat for his outstanding service and will be naming Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper, to be the new Acting Secretary of Defense​,” he continued, adding, “​I know Mark, and have no doubt he will do a fantastic job!​”​

Trump appointed Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, to acting secretary last December after James Mattis stepped down.

The announcement comes about an hour after USA Today reported the FBI is revisiting a violent domestic dispute from nine years ago between ​Shanahan and his then-wife, Kimberly, as part of the background investigation for his confirmation hearing.

The incident, in which both Shanahan and his then-wife told police they had been punched by the other, did not surface when Trump nominated him to become deputy defense secretary two years ago.

When asked for comment by USA Today, the White House referred questions to the Pentagon.