Sources: Trump weighs replacing Esper after election
President Donald Trump has privately said that he intends to replace Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the November election, according to people familiar with internal discussions.
One person said Esper has told people close to him that he intends to leave regardless of the election’s outcome, meaning he could exit the administration about two months before Trump does, if he loses.
Trump has been frustrated that Esper, who became secretary in July 2019, hasn’t done more to defend him on key issues, including reports that
Russia paid Talibanfighters “bounties” for the killing of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Trump was also angered that Esper in June opposed deploying active-duty military to contain nationwide protests over racism. He confronted Esper June 3 at the White House after Esper held a news conference in which he said that using military forces to perform law enforcement within the U.S. is “a matter of last resort” and that the National Guard was better-suited to the task, people familiar with the matter said.
The pushback from Esper followed Trump’s threat to send military to cities that failed to quell violence from the protests, which were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Asked at the time whether Trump still had confidence in Esper, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany responded that “should the president lose faith, we will all learn about that in the future.”
John McEntee, head of Trump’s presidential personnel office, is helping strategize possible changes, people familiar with the matter said.
Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said it’s Esper’s “highest honor and privilege” to serve the nation, and recognizes that he does so “at the pleasure of the president.”
An official close to Esper, who asked not to be identified, added that Esper is committed to serving as long as Trump wants him to.
Before pushing back on deploying troops to cities with large-scale protests, Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had joined Trump on a walk through a public park in front of the White House on June 1, after it had been cleared of peaceful protesters, a move that provoked a bipartisan outcry in Congress and from former military leaders.
Esper, though, has shown more willingness than his predecessor to work with Trump on issues such as drawing down forces in Syria, Afghanistan and Germany, sending U.S. troops to the border with Mexico and shifting funding for military construction and weapons programs to help build a border wall.
Trump — who has claimed he is “smarter” than his generals — has had a tumultuous relationship with military leaders since taking office. Jim Mattis abruptly resigned as defense secretary in December 2018 after Trump announced plans to withdraw troops from Syria with little planning. Trump later nominated Patrick Shanahan, who withdrew from consideration in June 2019 after reports of a messy divorce surfaced.
Trump’s nominee for the No. 3 job at the Pentagon, Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, foundered last month when his confirmation hearing was canceled and his nomination withdrawn.
Even if he stays until the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, Esper would be one of the shortest-tenured defense secretaries in decades. After Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, combined, served over 10 years, most Pentagon chiefs have lasted less than two years.