The trio resigned Tuesday, along with current former chief of staff Jane Stewart and senior Pentagon officials overseeing policy and intelligence, the official said.
The turmoil of changes in the department in recent days has put officials inside the Pentagon on edge and provoked growing sentiment among military and civilian officials, who are worried about what might come next. The move will increase the sense of chaos within the Pentagon after Trump fired Asper through a tweet.
Asper was replaced by Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Two days after the president declared his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, the winner of the presidential election, he concluded that he had refused to accept it in public.
Sources told CNN’s Jack Tapper on Tuesday that in the wake of Monday’s firing, the White House is now focused on pursuing secretaries under the Department of Defense’s Asper. Sources said the effort could be because Asper and his team were pushing for a premature withdrawal from Afghanistan that would be undertaken before the required conditions on the ground were met, and other outstanding security issues.
Since taking office, top officials have been pushing for Trump’s unpredictable decision, and the current level of uncertainty has been rising since the election. There is growing concern that a chaotic transition period could harm national security.
Controversial retired Briggs is also among those taking on new roles in the Department of Defense this week. Gen. Anthony Tata, who took over the reins of the Pentagon’s top policy role, took over from James Anderson, who resigned on Tuesday.
Tata was nominated as defense secretary for policy this summer, but his nomination was withdrawn due to bilateral opposition.
According to another defense official, retired Navy Vice Adam. Joseph Kernan, the undersecretary of intelligence, also resigned. It was not immediately clear if Kerna had resigned or been fired, but his departure has gained momentum.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
CNN’s Caroline Kelly, Barbara Starrer and Zachary Cohen contributed to the report.
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