Relations With Trump Getting Worse, US Defense Secretary Prepares To Resign

Mark Esper (Instagram / @esperdod)

JAKARTA - United States (US) Defense Minister Mark Esper is reported to have prepared a resignation letter. Esper's plan isn't a secret at the Pentagon. According to three defense officials the Esper wanted to stay on the job as long as he could. But his relationship with Trump deteriorated until Esper realized it was impossible.

It is not unusual for a cabinet official to prepare a resignation letter that is not dated during the presidential transition. This will provide the commander-in-chief with the opportunity to replace him in his second term.

However, it is the president who decides whether to accept the resignation letter or not. In addition, usually the resignation process occurs after the election result is clear.

Quoting NBC News, Friday, November 6, the defense official also said Esper prepared his letter because he was one of the officials long expected to be fired after the US election. As his term in office may end soon, Esper is helping members of Congress draft a bill that will remove the names of Confederate leaders from military bases.

This is a step that could put him at odds with US President Donald Trump. With official election results that could be hours, days or even weeks away, the Esper's presence sent a signal to allies and enemies that operations would continue as normal.

Some say Esper must stay in his position until the election results are clear. Others believe he should be in his position until inauguration, provided the president doesn't fire him first.

"It's a matter of national security," said Arnold Punaro, former director of staff for the Senate Armed Services Committee and retired Marine Corps major general.

"Over the next 76 days, our allies and enemies must understand that President Trump maintains full power as commander in chief and the chain of command remains intact from him to Esper to commander at war."

Meanwhile, Esper is also considering issuing directives that would order the Army, Navy and Air Force to change names in their respective services. The order can be overturned by Trump, who is very much against renaming the base.

Esper now plans to work with Congress to include his language in the annual National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, so that the name change will be written into law. This week Esper provided a written outline for leaders at the Pentagon to change the name of the installation, perhaps even the ship and the names of the streets of the base in honor of the generals or leaders of the Confederation, officials said.

For example, the framework suggests that the NDAA could say that a military installation cannot be named after someone who betrayed the US or committed a criminal offense. Military installations according to the suggestion should be named after those who have met certain criteria, such as obtaining a Medal of Honor or Silver Star, or attaining the rank of general.

"(Esper) continues to serve the country as defense minister at the will of the president and is currently at the Pentagon working on the implementation of an irreversible National Defense Strategy," Jonathan Hoffman, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, said in a statement.

Root crack

Esper's relationship with the White House has been riven for months. That's because Esper said last June that he did not support the use of active duty forces to quell large-scale protests across the US sparked by George Floyd's death.

Esper also said military forces should be used in law enforcement roles only as a last resort. His remarks from the Pentagon boardroom were seen by many as an attempt to distance himself from Trump's threats to deploy the military to enforce order on the streets.

White House sentiment about Esper has gradually deteriorated since the summer, with Trump and national security adviser Robert O'Brien viewing Esper as not fully committed to Trump's vision of the military. For months, Trump and O'Brien have lost faith in Esper's ability to lead the military and have been frustrated by Esper's tendency to not offer a full defense of the President or his policies, government officials said.