Retired four-star Army Gen. Jack Keane had to decline an offer to be President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of defense, citing personal reasons, as reported by National Public Radio.
"I was asked to serve, but I'm not able to," Keane told NPR's Rachel Martin. "I have some personal issues surrounding the death of my wife recently, and I explained all that to Mr. Trump, and he was very gracious and understanding, and quite supportive."
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Keane, whose wife Theresa died in June after fighting Parkinson's disease, recommended retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis and former CIA Director David Petraeus for the post, according to the report.
The rumored front-runner for the secretary of defense post is now Gen. Mattis, who was one of a number of potential Cabinet members who had spoken with the Trump transition team in Bedminster, N.J., this weekend.
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