“Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service,” the president said on Twitter. This sudden announcement had been anticipated and once again highlighted the need for absolute loyalty from top advisers even as the President makes sense of the outcome of the Nov. 3 election.
Trump said Christopher Miller, who was recently named director of the National Counterterrorism Center, would immediately become acting defense secretary. “Chris will do a GREAT job!” Trump wrote.
Who is Mark T. Esper?
Mark T. Esper who has served in the US Army is also a former weapons lobbyist who was confirmed as defense secretary in July 2019. Esper was mostly aligned with his commander in chief on major foreign policy issues.
What is the reason behind this sudden move?
The removal of Esper at the time when the county will undergo a leadership change with the newly elected President Joe Biden having to deal with political tensions and potential security risks. Meanwhile Democrats and independents have criticized the move highlighting that the sudden change can put the American security at threat.
Trump had been looking to deploy military at the time of protest due to Geroge Flyod death. The President had demanded that thousands of troops be dispatched on the streets of Washington amid protests over the police killing of George Floyod. Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to use active-duty service members against demonstrators, but Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, pushed back, concerned it would look like martial law.
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper had then opposed this move and had clashes with Trump over his steps to draw the military into partisan politics. Esper often sought advice on how to deal with the president and already knew that it may be long before he is fired. Esper also complained that Trump was not listening to him and remained agitated by his presence.