President Trump is preparing to nominate Lt. Gen. William Hartman, the acting head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, to officially take over both posts, according to POLITICO, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Hartman, who has been running the agencies since April after Trump dismissed Gen. Timothy Haugh, has backing from senior officials at the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Department. His nomination will move through the National Security Council and requires Senate confirmation. It comes with promotion to four-star general.
A longtime cyber operations leader, Hartman previously served as deputy commander of Cyber Command and as commander of the Cyber National Mission Force. His career also includes assignments in infantry, intelligence and cyber operations across the U.S., Europe, South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan.
He is not expected to encounter significant opposition in the Senate. When he appeared before the Armed Services Committee’s cyber panel in April, shortly after Haugh’s firing, lawmakers from both parties praised his performance.
Hartman’s nomination follows the selection of Joe Francescon as deputy director of the NSA, though the next deputy commander of Cyber Command has not yet been named.
