Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green withdrew Friday as President Donald Trump's nominee for Army secretary, citing "false and misleading" attacks against him.
"It is with deep regret today I am withdrawing my nomination to be the Secretary of the Army," Green, 52, a Republican whom Trump nominated last month, said in a statement. "I am honored that President Trump nominated me for this position.
"I appreciate his support and confidence in me, as well as that of Defense Secretary James Mattis and many others.
"But to meet these challenges, there should be no distractions – and unfortunately, due to false and misleading attacks against me, this nomination has become a distraction.
"Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and have no bearing on the needs of the Army or my qualifications to serve,” he said. "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."
Green served as an emergency medicine physician in the Army, and he was a part of Operation Red Dawn, which saw the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
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