Policy Andersen has served as the policy’s under-secretary since John Rudd was fired by the Trump administration in February over disagreements over policy issues.
It was not immediately clear if Anderson was asked to resign.
Anderson, who has been at the Pentagon since 2018, first served as assistant secretary for strategy, planning, and capabilities, and later became deputy under secretary for policy before taking over the top policy job after Rudney’s ouster.
In a farewell message to his staff members, Andersen said, “I leave knowing that no matter what happens next, the team will maintain. I will never forget the mission-focused, exceptional and your oath of office by encouraging everyone.”
Just two days after the president declared his Democratic opponent Bn Biden the winner of the presidential election, Esper Jettison made a conclusion that Trump refused to accept.
Informed sources told CNN’s Jack Tapper that following his ouster on Monday, the White House is now focusing on complying with Asper’s undersecretaries in the Department of Defense.
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.
U.S. Military officials have long insisted that the withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan is conditional on the Taliban severing ties with al Qaeda and making progress in peace talks with the Afghan government.
But despite the lack of progress, the Trump administration has already significantly reduced the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the lowest level since the start of the post-9/11 campaign.
Doubts about the future of other senior national security officials
Asper’s firing raised concerns that other top national security officials who have angered Trump may be sensitive.
CNN reported Monday that Trump and some of his rhetorical allies have become increasingly frustrated with CIA Director Gina Haspel in recent weeks, accusing them of believing that so-called “deep state” plots against the transition will spill over into Trump’s campaign and transition. The Obama administration, according to current and former officials.
FBI Director Christopher Ware has also sparked Trump’s futures, according to the same sources, sparking some uncertainty about his future.
Trump tapped Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, to lead the Pentagon on what the rest of his administration would look like.
Miller is the driving force behind some of Trump’s policies targeting Iran and its proxy group Hezbollah, as well as counterterrorism efforts linked to the wars in Syria and Iraq. Prior to heading the NCTC, Miller was director of counterterrorism at the National Security Council.
Miller, a native of Iowa and a retired U.S. Army officer, has also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. Miller was seen arriving at the Pentagon on Monday afternoon and immediately met with Millie and other top staff for a serious briefing on issues such as the nuclear code and military action around the world. “Don’t expect significant changes at this time,” Miller told officials.
CNN’s Jack Tapper, Zachary Cohen, Barbara Starrer and Nicole Gouet contributed to the report.
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