Trump donor Andrew McKenna is a leading contender for secretary of the Air Force, according to three people close to the transition.<\/p>\n

McKenna, a private pilot who heads a small Washington advisory and investment firm, would be the latest of Trump\u2019s picks to take on a top job at the Pentagon without significant experience inside the building.<\/p>\n

McKenna served in the White House Liaison\u2019s office at the Agriculture Department during the George W. Bush administration before jumping into the private sector, according to a biography on his firm\u2019s website<\/a>. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about pending personnel moves.<\/p>\n

Pete Hegseth and Dan Driscoll, Trump\u2019s pick to become secretary of the Army, have both served in the military but neither has held a government job. Nor has John Phelan, selected by Trump for secretary of the Navy, who like McKenna is a major Trump donor.<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident-Elect Trump has made brilliant decisions on who will serve in his second administration at lightning pace,\u201d Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the transition, said in an emailed statement. \u201cRemaining decisions will continue to be announced by him when they are made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump has also considered former Rep. Chris Stewart, a previous Air Force bomber pilot and defender of the president-elect on the House Intelligence Committee. But the former lawmaker took himself out of the running for the job, according to a person familiar with the process.<\/p>\n

Stewart was also in the mix for the post of director of national intelligence<\/a> before Trump chose former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. A key factor for Stewart has reportedly been the health of his wife. Stewart resigned from Congress last year to take care of her.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not immediately clear if McKenna would need to divest equity in defense firms. His firm advises defense companies as part of its portfolio, according to his firm\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

Blue Light News previously reported that<\/a> McKenna\u2019s firm had provided management consulting services for the Saudi-funded LIV Golf, including monitoring and tracking 9\/11 victims\u2019 families that were protesting the tour. The firm also raised eyebrows after it reportedly hired<\/a> the wife of a National Rifle Association executive despite representing a gun rights group.<\/p>\n

The Trump transition, which sent its landing team<\/a> into the Pentagon for the first time on Monday, is looking to quickly fill the agency\u2019s large bench of Senate-confirmed appointees.<\/p>\n

One of the people close to the transition said Trump was considering Trae Stephens, a co-founder of dronemaker Anduril, for the agency\u2019s assistant secretary for acquisition and sustainment. Another said that James \u201cHondo\u201d Geurts, a retired Air Force colonel who briefly served as acting undersecretary of the Navy during the Biden administration, was under consideration for the job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"