Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday the decision for him to resign was a mutual one arrived at in private discussions with President Barack Obama and not based on any “major” differences between the two men.
“There were no major differences in any major area. Sure, there are always issues of style and how you get things done and are things moving fast enough,” Hagel said, describing Obama as “thoughtful” and “careful.”
“This was a mutual decision based on the discussions that we had,” he added. “I don’t think there’s ever one overriding or defining decision in situations like this, unless there’s some obvious issue, and there wasn’t between either one of us.“
Hagel addressed reporters on the subject after announcing a new report on sexual assault in the military.
Obama announced Hagel’s decision to resign last week. The president will reportedly nominate Ashton Carter, who served as deputy secretary of defense from October 2011 to December 2013, as Hagel’s replacement on Friday.
Hagel, a Republican and former senator from Nebraska, dismissed reports and speculation of being forced out over differences with the White House over micromanagement or questions about Hagel’s competence, saying he and Obama were the only two in the room when the decision was reached.
“So with all the speculation and all the smart people figuring out what was said and what wasn’t said, only two people know what was said,” he said.
Hagel said he is proud of the work he has done leading the Pentagon over the last two years, but said he and the president agreed fresh leadership was needed given the challenges the country faces for the remainder of the Obama administration.
“The next two years is another zone of kinds of challenges for this country,” Hagel said. “And leaders have to be wise enough to know that. And as we talked through it–the president and I did–we both came to the conclusion that–I think the country was best served with new leadership.”
Hagel said there is likely to be a rotation of senior leaders in the Pentagon, including among senior brass, next fall, and he felt it best if that was carried out with a new Pentagon chief.
“Everybody knows that most likely there’s going to be a rotation of a new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff next year, of vice chairman, of some of the chiefs–and that’s the president’s call ultimately–but there’s most likely going to be a rotation of senior leaders,” Hagel said. “And as I thought through this, this is probably the right time for a new team for the next two years.”