President Trump on Friday denied a report that he was considering former Democratic Virginia Sen. Jim Webb to be his new defense secretary — calling the story “FAKE NEWS.”

“The story in the New York Times regarding Jim Webb being considered as the next Secretary of Defense is FAKE NEWS. I’m sure he is a fine man, but I don’t know Jim, and never met him. Patrick Shanahan, who is Acting Secretary of Defense, is doing a great job!” he wrote on Twitter.

The paper had reported that Trump was considering Webb, President Reagan’s secretary of the Navy, as a permanent replacement for Jim Mattis, who quit in disgust after Trump abruptly announced a quick troop withdrawal from Syria, a position the White House seemed to walk back in the face of intense bipartisan criticism.

Reports on Friday said there was no actual timetable for the Syria bugout.

Webb, a former officer in the Marine Corps, was a critic of the Iraq War.

Trump named Mattis’ deputy, Shanahan, a former Boeing executive, as acting Defense secretary.