Esper out at DOD
President Trump announced on Twitter that he had fired his secretary of defense, with Christopher C. Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, taking over on an acting basis.
President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he had fired his secretary of defense, with Christopher C. Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), taking over on an acting basis.
Rumors of Mark Esper's ouster had been brewing for months, in part because of his statements opposing the use of the military to quell protests in U.S. cities that erupted over the summer after the police killing of George Floyd. Trump also took issue with Esper's support of a plan to rename military bases that honor Confederate generals.
NBC reported last week that Esper had drafted a resignation letter.
The designation of Miller, already confirmed by the Senate in his current role, sidesteps DOD's number 2 official David Norquist, the deputy secretary. Miller was confirmed to the NCTC post in August. He's also served the Trump administration as special assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism and transnational threats on the National Security Council.
The move is the first major exercise of presidential power by Trump since losing the election to challenger Joe Biden. Trump has not conceded in the race, which was called by the Associated Press and the major television networks, and is challenging the legitimacy of the result.