Trump fires his defense secretary in a lightning-fast fashion

Trump made the announcement two days after news of his presidential defeat.

The President of the United States, Donald Turmp, announced this Monday 9-N the sudden dismissal of Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, two days after his defeat in the November 3 elections to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

“I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the esteemed director of the National Counterterrorism Center (confirmed unanimously by the Senate), will serve as secretary of defense, effective immediately,” Trump said on his Twitter account. .

“Chris will do a great job. Mark Esper has finished his job. I would like to thank him for his services,” added the president.

Esper’s name was on Trump’s list of possible layoffs after he opposed the president’s proposal to send military units to quell riots in several cities across the country this summer after the African American citizen’s death in police custody. George Floyd.

“The option of using active troops in the role of law enforcement should only be used as a last resort, and only in the most urgent and extreme situations. We are not in one of those situations now,” Esper said at a Pentagon news conference. .

Trained at West Point Military Academy and with experience in both government and the private sector, Esper was named by Trump to head the Pentagon in June 2019.