Trump starts to break staffing gridlock at Defense

President Trump announced today six key additions to the Department of Defense.

Why this matters: Today's announcements are welcome signs of progress for Trump. Multiple well-placed sources have told us that the Defense Department, now led by General James Mattis, has had worse staffing problems than any other agency. The White House's office of personnel has struggled to deal with Mattis, who has Trump's ear, suggesting people considered too left-wing to serve in a Republican administration.

Who's in:

1. Patrick Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense, is a senior VP at Boeing, in charge of the company's manufacturing operations and supplier management.
2. David Joel Trachtenberg will serve as Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Policy. He's a Defense Department veteran currently CEO of the national security consultancy, Shortwaver Consulting.
3. Kenneth Rapuano will serve as an Assistant Secretary of Defense, Homeland Defense and Global Security. Rapuano is a senior VP at the ANSER Corporation, and previously served as White House Deputy Homeland Security Advisor from 2004-2006.
4. David Norquist, Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller, is a partner with the accounting firm Kearney and Company. He's also got nearly 30 years government experience dealing with defense finances.
5. Elaine McCusker, Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller. She's currently the director of resources and analysis at U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base.
6. Robert Daigle, Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE). He served in CAPE under the Bush Administration.