The president of the United States, Donald Trump, fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, according to an announcement by the president on social networks, where he reported that Christopher Miller would become acting secretary “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,” Trump posted on Twitter.
“Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been fired. “I would like to thank you for your service,” he added.
Relations between Trump and Esper have become increasingly strained, prompting the defense secretary to prepare a resignation letter weeks ago, several defense sources told CNN, including a senior official.
Esper had expressed in June that did not support the use of active-duty troops to quell the large-scale protests in the United States sparked by the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of the police, which contradicted the president's statements at that time.
His comments were not well received in the White House, several people familiar with the matter said. Several administration officials said White House sentiment about Esper had been souring for some time.
Both Trump and National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien did not see him as fully committed to the president's vision for the military. Trump and O'Brien had been frustrated by Esper's tendency to avoid offering a full defense of the president or his policies.
For the moment, neither Esper nor the Pentagon have reacted to Trump's announcement, which came shortly after the American television network NBC reported that the Secretary of Defense was preparing his resignation following the victory of the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden. in the presidential elections, indica Europa Press.
In July 2019, Esper became the United States Secretary of Defense, becoming the first official to hold the position on a non-acting basis since the departure of General James Mattis the previous year. Esper had joined the Pentagon in 2017 as Secretary of the Armed Forces to manage the resources and preparation of the 1.4 million soldiers that are part of the Army.
What do you think?
SEE COMMENTS (4)Filed in: