Trump Fires Secretary of Defense Esper: Christopher C. Miller will be Acting Secdef
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 tweeted.
Trump and Esper have been knocking heads about some issues, including the decision by Esper, backed by Army secretary, Ryan McCarthy, to change Confederate Generals’ names of military bases, a move Trump objects to as erasing U.S. history. the deep divides came during the George Floyd riots and Black Lives Matter protests. Esper said that there were no legal grounds to deploy active-service troops on the streets of US cities.
Another contentious issue is Esper’s decision to cut funding for Stars and Stripes, a military news icon.
Former Secretary of Defense, Mad Dog Mattis has been very open about supporting Biden for President.