The U.S. Senate last week voted to confirm Adam Telle, the former chief of staff to Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), to serve as the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works under the Trump administration.
With Telle having worked for Hagerty since 2021, the senator introduced his nomination to the Senate in May and said his former chief of staff brought a unique set of skills to his office.
“I have seen Adam bring people together to solve problems, mentor and grow staff, and provide thoughtful and effective strategic direction on some of the toughest problems facing our nation,” said Hagerty, calling Telle, “just the leader that our nation needs in the Pentagon.”
Native to Alabama, Telle (pictured above) graduated from Mississippi State University in 2005 and worked for a series of senators before joining the Trump administration in 2021, when he worked in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.
During his May remarks in the Senate, Hagerty also credited Telle with helping achieve President Donald Trump’s foreign policy objectives during his first administration.
“Adam played a critical role in helping to conclude and implement President Trump’s historic Abraham Accords that brought peace and security to Israel and four Arab nations,” said Hagerty. “He also played an outsized role in working with the Armed Services Committee on the establishment of the Space Force, the first new branch of the military to be authorized in more than 70 years.”
When announcing Telle’s departure from his office, Hagerty noted that he will oversee the Army Corps of Engineers, which is “central to Tennessee and our nation.”
Telle was confirmed with 72 votes in favor and 22 votes against, with prominent Democrats crossing party lines for the vote.
In addition to 24 Democrats, Telle’s confirmation was supported by Senator Angus King (I-ME), who caucuses with the Democratic Party as an independent.
Telle’s confirmation was completed despite the president alleging that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is intentionally slowing the confirmation process in a bid to force the Senate to approve $2 billion in spending on Democratic priorities.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Adam Telle” by Senator Katie Britt.
Hope he will do well. Totally unqualified, though…