Defense chief 's firing fuels security fears

Trump's move on Esper destabilizes US during transition, opponents say

US President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, sending shock waves through Washington's political and security circles.

"Mark Esper has been terminated," Trump tweeted. "I would like to thank him for his service."

The announcement came only days after a Pentagon spokesman said Esper "has no plans to resign, nor has he been asked to submit a letter of resignation".

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows reportedly called Esper to give him a heads-up that the president's tweet was going to be sent out.

In a letter to Trump on Monday, Esper said he accepts the president's decision to replace him as he serves "the country in deference to the Constitution", while stressing his efforts to keep the Pentagon "out of politics".

Esper, 56, began to lead the US Department of Defense in mid-2019 after serving as secretary of the army.

During his tenure at the Pentagon, Esper played a major role in implementing the Trump administration's national security policies and mobilizing military resources to help the country address the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he was at odds with the White House on several occasions over domestic issues.

This summer, when demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice swept across the United States and Trump threatened to deploy active-duty troops to respond to violence arising from the events, Esper made clear his opposition to the idea.

"The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations," Esper said in June. "We are not in one of those situations now."

Recently, Esper reportedly helped lawmakers on Capitol Hill craft legislation to pull the names of Confederate leaders from military bases, after the national reckoning over police brutality, racism, and slavery, despite public opposition from Trump.

'Act of retribution'

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in Congress, said in a statement that "it is concerning that reports show that this firing was an act of retribution", arguing that the move could put the country's national security at risk.

A flurry of other Democrats, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, also lashed out at the firing of Esper and its timing.

Democrat and former vice-president Joe Biden has declared victory in the 2020 presidential election, while Trump has not conceded and the Republican president has begun legal challenges.

"In the national security community, it is well known that periods of presidential transition leave our country exposed to unique threats," Smith said in a statement. "It is imperative that the Pentagon remain under stable, experienced leadership."

Trump said on Monday that Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be the Pentagon's acting chief "effective immediately".

Miller, 55, was sworn in as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, aligned under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, in August. Most recently, he served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and combating terrorism.

Jim Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican and chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, tweeted he is looking forward to "working with him to ensure that these priorities remain paramount and to working with President Trump to maintain stability at the Pentagon, particularly as we work to enact the 60th annual NDAA."

Inhofe was referring to the National Defense Authorization Act, a bill authorizing appropriations for the 2021 fiscal year and setting forth policies for the department's programs and activities.

James Mattis, the Trump administration's first defense secretary, resigned in late 2018 over policy disagreements with the president.

Before joining the administration, Esper was vice-president for government relations at Raytheon, a major US military contractor.

According to multiple reports, Trump is also believed to be considering dismissing FBI Director Chris Wray and CIA Director Gina Haspel, angered that they did not support his battle for reelection.

Xinhua, Ai Heping in New York and agencies contributed to this story.