[ad_1]
The White House has reportedly demanded a list of the names of the people who applauded as a Pentagon official left the building, having resigned after their boss was fired by Donald Trump.
James Anderson, the acting undersecretary of defense for policy, was a key adviser to Mark Esper, the defense secretary whom Trump announced in a tweet Monday that he had been “fired.”
Anderson, a former Marine who taught at Marine Corps War College before joining the Department of Defense, resigned Tuesday.
Bill Kristol, a “Never Trump” Republican and former newspaper editor who now runs the advocacy organization Defending Democracy Together, said there was an “oath of allegiance” atmosphere within the Pentagon.
“A sign of the loyalty oath atmosphere now at the Defense Department: When Jim Anderson was fired yesterday as Acting Under Secretary for Policy, he received ‘applause’ as he left the building,” Kristol tweeted.
“The WH called to request the names of the political appointees who joined so they could be fired.”
The Department of Defense, when requesting comments, referred The independent to the White House.
The White House referred The independent to the Department of Defense.
Anderson, appointed in June, had repeatedly clashed with the White House over the installation of Trump allies in the department, Politico reported.
Trump’s impeachment of Esper and his replacement by Chris Miller, 55, has alarmed some and prompted a string of resignations, including Anderson’s.
Miller has served in the Trump administration since 2018, when he was appointed special assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism and transnational threats at the National Security Council, according to the Department of Defense website.
He served in the military since 1987, joined the special forces in 1993, and retired to work, beginning in 2014, for defense contractors.
Anderson has been replaced by retired Brig. General Anthony Tata, who will assume politics temporarily.
Tata, a Fox News regular before joining the administration this year, had been nominated by Trump for Anderson’s job, but his nomination collapsed this summer after CNN discovered tweets calling former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader.” and they referred to Islam as “The most oppressive violent religion I know.”
Following Anderson’s resignation, Jen Stewart, the defense secretary’s chief of staff, also resigned and was replaced by Kash Patel.
Patel played a key role in helping Republicans discredit the Russia investigation and has held various roles in the Trump administration, culminating in his appointment as the top White House counterterrorism official.
“It’s hard to overstate how dangerous high-level turnover is in the Defense Department during a presidential transition period,” said Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services committee.
He told Politico: “If this is the start of a trend – the president fires or expels national security professionals to replace them with people perceived as more loyal to him – then the next 70 days will be precarious at best. and frankly dangerous at worst. “
