Trump fires Pentagon chief Mark Esper amid post-election chaos
US President Donald Trump has fired his defense secretary, Mark Esper, amid political chaos gripping his administration after his refusal to concede the election defeat.
Trump said in a tweet on Monday that Esper had been "terminated" and that Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, would “immediately” assume the post.
"Mark Esper has been terminated," Trump said on Twitter. "I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately."
I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020
...Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020
The Pentagon had no immediate comment regarding the dismissal.
Citing Defense Department officials, the NBC News revealed in a report on Friday that Esper had penned his resignation letter amid drawn-out disagreements with Trump and his own poor reappointment prospects, particularly if Trump were to win a second term in office.
The report cited the officials as saying that Esper had written his letter “because he is one of the Cabinet officials long expected to be pushed out after the election.”
The report also pointed to a history of rifts between the defense chief and the chief executive, including in the case of Trump’s insistence on using the military to suppress street protests over racial injustice and violence against African Americans in the US.
The Senate would be highly unlikely to confirm any new nominee before Trump leaves office in January.
This is while the Republican has steadfastly refused to acknowledge his November 3 election loss to Democratic challenger Joe Biden, who won a total of 290 electoral votes compared to Trump’s 214.
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