Pentagon top officials quit following Trump’s firing of Esper [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday and resulted in three resignations in the Pentagon shortly the following day.
• All resignations were quickly filled by the White House.
• The sudden departures fueled concerns about the Trump administration’s move to commit unfavorable acts in time before Joe Biden’s inauguration in January.

On Tuesday, several Pentagon officials tendered their resignation following President Donald Trump’s firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

Three officials submitted their immediate resignations ━ James Anderson (Pentagon’s top policy official), Joseph Kernan (top intelligence official), and Jen Stewart (Esper’s chief of staff).

“I want to thank Dr. Anderson, Admiral Kernan and Jen Stewart for their service to the nation and the Department. Over their careers each has contributed greatly to the national defense and the future of the Department of Defense. We wish them the best in their next endeavors,” acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said in a statement.

According to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.), it was difficult “to overstate just how dangerous high-level turnover at the Department of Defense is during a period of a presidential transition.”

In his Tuesday’s statement following Anderson’s exit, Smith said that the departure “could mark the beginning of a process of gutting the DoD ━ something that should alarm all Americans.”

 “As soon as Former Vice President Biden became President-Elect Biden, President Trump and those loyal to him started to sow chaos and division. It appears that chaos has now reached the Pentagon.”

Smith was also concerned about Trump’s replacement for Anderson ━ retired Army Brig. General Anthony Tata.

An occasional commentator for Fox News, Tata was forced to evict himself from the top policy post after his infamous tweets against Islam reemerged. Aside from claiming that Islam was the “most oppressive violent religion,” he also called Obama a “terrorist leader” and a “Manchurian candidate.”

“If this is the beginning of a trend – the President either firing or forcing out national security professionals in order to replace them with people perceived as more loyal to him – then the next 70 days will be precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst,” Smith said, adding that the “president’s singular obsession with loyalty has severely undermined the competence of our government and made us less safe.”

The two other DOD posts were also occupied immediately on Tuesday.

The abrupt resignations sparked concerns that the White House was seating Trump loyalists at the Pentagon who would execute contentious actions roughly two months before President-elect Joe Biden swore into office.

Source: The Hill