Donald Trump weighs replacing defence chief Mark Esper after November election
- President frustrated that Pentagon head has not done more to defend him over alleged Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan
- Trump and Esper also clashed over use of military to contain nationwide George Floyd protests
US President Donald Trump has privately said that he intends to replace Secretary of Defence 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 the president loses.
Trump has been frustrated that Esper, who became secretary in July 2019, has not done more to publicly defend him on key issues, including reports that Russia paid Taliban fighters “bounties” for the killing of US troops in Afghanistan.
Trump was also angered that Esper in June publicly opposed the idea of deploying active-duty military to contain nationwide protests over racism.
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He confronted his defence secretary on June 3 at the White House after Esper held a news conference in which he said that using active-duty military forces to perform law enforcement within the US is “a matter of last resort” and that the National Guard was better-suited to the task, people familiar with the matter said.