[ad_1]
In the last few meters, the Trump administration changes again and thus raises concerns among Democrats. According to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, other Pentagon executives should take their hats off. In addition to former chief of staff Jen Stewart, two undersecretaries of state James Anderson and Joseph Kernan have resigned from their posts, the Defense Ministry said.
It was not initially clear whether they resigned of their own free will or were fired. ABC News reported, however, citing a current and former ministry employee that the executives had been pressured to resign.
The successor has already been clarified: the strategic planning of the ministry will be in charge of Anthony Tata. In the summer, the former brigadier general’s nomination fell through due to Islamophobic tweets and other highly controversial comments, as “Politico” reported. Tata once described former US President Barack Obama as a “terrorist leader.”
Kash Patel, who once worked for Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, will become chief of staff to new Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, according to the Pentagon. Patel and Tata are considered loyal to the president of the United States, Donald Trump. Ezra Cohen-Watnick will be the new Under Secretary of State for Intelligence Affairs.
Rift between Trump and Esper in the summer
Trump fired his defense minister on Monday shortly after losing the presidential election. There had been tension between the president and the chief of the Pentagon since the summer.
The background was protests against racism and police violence, in which Trump presented himself as an intransigent and threatened to end the unrest in the country with military force if necessary. To do this, he would have had to activate the “Insurrection Act” of 1807, which allows the President of the United States to deploy the United States Army in the country under certain circumstances.
Esper had spoken out against the use of the US military to stop the riots and thus clearly distanced himself from Trump. He had described that step as a “last resort” that should only be used in “the most urgent and worst situations”. It was extremely unusual for the current Pentagon chief to publicly contradict the country’s commander-in-chief. The US media reported at the time, citing Trump’s entourage, that the president had raised the question of replacing Espers.
The shakeup at the Pentagon gives Trump a chance to redeem broken election promises ahead of the January 20 change of power. This may include ordering the total withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. Democrats see the chair movement at the Pentagon as a dangerous message to their opponents that tarnishes hopes for an orderly transition.
“Smooth transition to a second Trump administration”
“How dangerous high-level changes in the Defense Department are during a presidential turnaround phase should not be overestimated,” said Adam Smith, Democrat, who heads the House Defense Committee. Trump can now implement policies Esper rejected, such as using the military to suppress street protests.
A statement from Foreign Secretary Mike Pompeo on Tuesday also made clear how difficult the transition phase will be. Despite the lost election, he made no move to accept the result. Rather, he literally said, “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”
