US President Donald Trump has "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.
Mr Trump had split with Mr Esper over a range of issues and was particularly angered by his public opposition to Mr Trump's threats to use active duty military forces this summer to suppress street protests over racial injustice after police killed unarmed black American George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Mr Esper's firing was quickly followed by speculation that Mr Trump was not finished: Mr Christopher Wray, the FBI director, and Ms Gina Haspel, the CIA director, could be next, according to administration officials.
Removing these senior officialsin effect decapitating the national security bureaucracy during the uncertain time between administrationsis hardly without risks.
But Mr Trump enjoys firing people, two senior administration officials said on Monday. The looming end of his presidency, the officials said, gave him only two more months to exercise his privilege to fire. And by announcing the Defence Secretary's ouster, Mr Trump was seen as seeking to reclaim even a bit of the post-election narrative, which has been dominated by President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
Democrats reacted with alarm, saying Mr Trump's move on Monday sent a dangerous message to America's adversaries and dimmed hopes for an orderly transition as Mr 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.
Mr Trump said on Twitter that National Counterterrorism Centre director Christopher Miller was taking over as acting secretary of defence. "Mark Esper has been terminated," Mr Trump wrote in a tweet, adding that Mr Miller would be acting secretary "effective immediately".
Sources said Mr Esper had long been preparing for his resignation or dismissal following the previous week's election. Defence Department officials have privately expressed worries that Mr Trump might initiate operations, overt or secret, against Iran or other adversaries during his last days in office.
Meanwhile, the White House has removed Mr Michael Kuperberg, executive director of the US Global Change Research Programme, in what critics interpreted as the latest sign that the Trump administration intends to use its remaining months in office to continue impeding climate science and policy.
REUTERS, NYTIMES