On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that he had fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who will be replaced by director of the National Counterterrorism Center Christopher Miller. The move further unsettles a government already dealing with the president's refusal to come to terms with election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
The announcement was made via a tweet that revealed that Miller would serve as Acting Secretary of Defense effective immediately. The president decided to get rid of Esper two days after his Democratic rival Joe Biden was projected as the winner of the recently concluded presidential election by CNN and other networks. At the same time, Trump refuses to accept the outcome.
Citing his stressed relationship with the POTUS, Esper prepared a resignation letter several days ago in a bid to pave the way for a graceful exit in an impending event that Trump decided to fire him. This piece of information was revealed to CNN by one senior defense official and several other defence sources.
Esper's exit has raised concerns among other top national security officials who have an increasingly tense relationship with Trump about being next in line of fire. The president and some of his conservative allies have recently been expressing their annoyance with CIA Director Gina Haspel, blaming her for the delayed release of documents that they claim would reveal the alleged deep state schemes against Trump's campaign and transition during the previous Obama administration, several current and former officials suggest.
Haspel argues that declassifying the documents would jeopardize US national security by unveiling important methods and sources. Aside from her, Trump and his allies have also criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray, accusing him of failing to produce information that they say would damage Trump's political enemies, including Biden. Wray's exit has been long expected.
Shortly before Trump took to his Twitter account on Monday, his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, called Esper to inform him that he was about to be fired and replaced. Esper wrote a letter in response to Trump's decision to fire him, noting that he serves America in deference to the Constitution, adding that he accepts Trump's decision to replace him.
In his letter to the president, Esper said they achieved a lot of things in the Defense Department in the last 18 months to protect the United States while enhancing the professionalism, capabilities, and readiness of the joint force, and fundamentally preparing and transforming the American military for the future. CNN obtained a copy of the letter.