On Monday, President Trump announced on Twitter that he fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. The president said Esper will be replaced by National Counterterrorism Center Director Christoper Miller, who will serve as the acting Pentagon chief.
“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,” Trump wrote. “Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service.”
Trump’s announcement came after reports in the media said Esper was preparing his resignation, although the Pentagon denied those reports. Esper and Trump were said to have been butting heads over a few issues, most notably when Esper spoke out against invoking the Insurrection Act to quell civil unrest that broke out after the killing of George Floyd, although Esper had previously referred to protests as “battlespace” that governors had to “dominate.”
When it comes to foreign policy, Esper, a former Raytheon lobbyist, has pushed for more military spending to face Russia and China, an increased military presence in the Pacific, and has promoted a plan to add hundreds of ships to the fleet of the US Navy.
Esper has been working on completing President Trump’s plan to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany. Trump has said the move was due to Germany’s lack of defense spending, while Esper framed the pullout as a repositioning of resources to counter Russia.
He deserves to go he is MIC all the way. Have his crony lobbyist friends feeding at the trough.
Why do it now, is it possible that he needed a yes-man to go out with guns blazing against Iran? Hope not but not much info about C. Miller (typically the case w/yes-man)
no, he is preparing for next year. chances look very good for a second term now.
You thinking Giuliani pulls a rabbit out of a hat? Heheh!
Had the exact same thought … one last, very dark hurrah?
On the other hand, is he aiming to use the opportunity to forcefully order troops out of Syria and Afghanland? One never knows with Trump …
I am no fan of Esper, but I will say this for him. He refused to corroborate Pompeo’s and Trump’s lies about Iran targeting U.S. embassies. I am sure that has been burning in Trump’s craw these many months.
“Esper and Trump were said to have been butting heads over a few issues, most notably when Esper spoke out against invoking the Insurrection Act to quell civil unrest”
Even when Trump gets rid of a turd, he does it for the wrong reasons.