US President Donald Trump said on Monday he had “terminated” Defence Secretary Mark Esper, signalling he may use his final months in office after defeat at the polls to settle scores within his administration.
Trump had split with Esper over a range of issues and was particularly angered by his public opposition to Trump's threats to use active-duty military forces this summer to suppress street protests over racial injustice after police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Democrats reacted with alarm, saying Trump's move sent a dangerous message to America's adversaries and dimmed hopes for an orderly transition as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office
“The abrupt firing of Secretary Esper is disturbing evidence that President Trump is intent on using his final days in office to sow chaos in our American Democracy and around the world,” said House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Representative Adam Smith, the Democrat who leads the House Armed Services Committee, condemned Trump's decision as “childish” and “reckless.”