Trump loses another Army secretary nominee

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday lost another nominee he had put forward to be his Army secretary, after lawmakers said the pick was unfit because of his past stances against transsexuals, Muslims and Latinos. Mark Green, senator for Tennessee, said he was withdrawing due to “false and misleading
attacks against me.”

“My life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterised and attacked by a few ... for political gain.”

Green was Trump’s second choice for the post of Army secretary after his first, Vincent Viola, a billionaire, withdrew in February, saying he couldn’t overcome
conflict-of-interest objections.

Chuck Schumer, head of Democrats in the Senate, said Green “should not have been nominated in the first place.” He cited Green’s record of supporting a law “to make it easier for businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQ community,” for opposing gay marriage, and for believing “being transgender is a ‘disease’.”