White House admits it's looking for someone 'better suited' to fight the Islamic State

White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Monday acknowledged that the Obama administration is looking for a secretary of Defense who is more qualified than Secretary Chuck Hagel to prosecute the fight against the Islamic State.

Several news outlets reported Monday morning that Hagel was essentially pushed out of his job after criticisms mounted about how it has decided to fight the terrorist group. Earnest admitted this was the case in his daily press briefing with reporters.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged Monday that President Barack Obama is looking for someone with better qualifications to fight the Islamic State. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

"When Secretary Hagel was first nominated for this job, I believe that was at end of 2012… the threat that was posed by ISIL was not nearly as significant as it is now," Earnest said. "And that has caused the threat that's posed by ISIL to rise up to near the top of the priority list at the Department of Defense. And that wasn't the case when Secretary Hagel first took office."

Earnest said when Hagel arrived in early 2013, the department was facing other challenges, such as adjusting to some budget cuts and stopping sexual assault in the military.

"The priorities of the department, or at least of the new secretary, have changed, given changes in the international community," Earnest said. "It doesn't mean that Secretary Hagel hasn't done an excellent job of managing these crises as they've cropped up."

"But it does mean that as we consider the next remaining two years of the president's time in office, that another secretary might be better suited to meet those challenges," he added. "That was something that the two of them agreed."

Just as President Barack Obama said in remarks earlier in the day, Earnest praised Hagel's performance, and said Obama trusts Hagel completely to implement his defense policy. Some reporters noted that Hagel disagreed with Obama's plans for Syria, and asked if that was a factor in Hagel's departure, but Earnest rejected that.

Earnest also said Hagel and Obama together agreed that it was time for Hagel to go.

"Secretary Hagel and the president and convened a number of conversations, more than a month ago, about the president's two remaining years in office, and the kinds of priorities that this administration, this country, would be facing when it comes to our foreign policy," he said. "Over the course of the last month or so, the president and the secretary had a number of conversations and they determined that it would be best for the Pentagon to transition to new leadership."

Earnest also held up the idea that it's been routine for Obama to switch out his defense secretaries every two years. "It certainly is consistent with this pattern that we would have a new secretary of defense for the two remaining years of the presidency," he said.

Earlier in the day, however, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) criticized Obama for changing secretaries yet again.

"The Obama administration is now in the market for their 4th secretary of defense," he said. "When the president goes through three secretaries, he should ask 'is it them, or is it me?' "