BREAKING NEWS

Warren slams Trump's defense nominee, citing ethics concerns

WASHINGTON - Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump's nominee Mark Esper should not be confirmed as U.S. defense secretary because of ethical concerns related to his former job at defense contractor Raytheon Co.

"Secretary Esper, the American people deserve to know that you are making decisions in our country's security interests, not in your own financial interests," Warren, seeking her party's 2020 presidential nomination, said during a tense exchange at Esper's Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing.

"You can't make those commitments to this committee. That means you should not be confirmed as secretary of defense," she said.