Behind the firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper, a soldier at odds with his commanding officer

“Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service,” Trump said in his two-part tweet, announcing Esper would be replaced, not by his deputy David Norquist, but by Chris Miller, only confirmed three months ago as director of the National Counterterrorism Center. “Chris will do a GREAT job!” Trump tweeted, giving no reason for Esper’s firing.

SURPRISED, NOT SHOCKED: Esper knew he might be fired and had already written his resignation letter and final message to the troops and the Pentagon’s civilian workers. Esper had been on the outs with his boss since June when he opposed Trump’s desire to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 to use active-duty troops for crowd control in cities experiencing violent protests over racial justice, and when at a Pentagon news conference, Esper admitted publicly he had been hoodwinked into accompanying the president to a photo op at a church across from the White House.

But yesterday morning, it seemed, Trump had been convinced to allow Esper to stay until Inauguration Day. “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Jim Inhofe, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, have pressured the White House ‘to not shake things up,’” Politico reported, while noting, “The president is fickle and could easily change his mind.”

In his resignation letter, first obtained by Fox News, Esper wrote, “I serve the country in deference to the Constitution, so I accept your decision to replace me.”

In his farewell message to the department, he said, “I want to thank you all … for remaining apolitical, and for honoring your oath to the Constitution … Stay focused on your mission, remain steadfast in your pursuit of excellence, and always do the right thing.”

THE MOOD AT THE PENTAGON: After Trump tweeted the news, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley gathered his fellow chiefs for a secure video teleconference with combatant commanders across the globe to discuss the change, reports Washington Examiner Defense Reporter Abraham Mahshie.

“Chris Miller’s guidance to senior staff is to continue the mission with no significant changes at this time,” the official told Mahshie, who was among a small group of Pentagon reporters briefed by a senior defense official. “The chain of command was not broken,” said the official, who added Miller was quickly brought up to speed on the nation’s nuclear codes, current operations around the world, and other “critical tasks.”

THE NEW GUY: Chris Miller has enjoyed a meteoric rise since joining the Pentagon in January as deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations. The former Special Forces commander was promoted to assistant secretary of defense for special operations and then nominated director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

While generally well regarded, his resume is considered thin to head the Pentagon, albeit in a caretaker status as acting secretary for the next 10 weeks. Pentagon officials told Mahshie that no major changes, such as accelerated troop withdrawals, are expected.

An administration official who has worked closely with Miller tells my Washington Examiner colleague Joel Gehrke that Miller has an affable personality, is “always on; doesn’t take himself too seriously,” a solid leader, and is “definitely not crazy.”

While Miller was confirmed by voice vote to his former post at NCC, it wasn’t technically unanimous as the president claimed. “I opposed Chris Miller’s nomination earlier this year, because he refused to promise that intelligence agencies wouldn’t target Americans based on their political views,” said Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden in a statement. “Donald Trump fired someone who wouldn’t order U.S. troops to attack peaceful protesters and is replacing him with someone he may think will carry out those orders.”

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE: Four days before his unceremonious firing, and two days after the election, Esper gave a blockbuster exit interview to Meghann Myers of Military Times, in which it was it clear Esper knew he was leaving and seemed anxious to settle a few scores, especially the idea that he was a lapdog to Trump.

Esper was particularly irked that the president mocked him as “Yesper,” suggesting a spineless acquiescence to Trump’s every whim.

“My frustration is I sit here and say, ‘Hm, 18 Cabinet members. Who’s pushed back more than anybody?’ Name another Cabinet secretary that’s pushed back,” Esper told Military Times. “Have you seen me on a stage saying, ‘Under the exceptional leadership of blah-blah-blah, we have blah-blah-blah-blah?’”

Read on for more of Esper’s parting shots and a sample of the partisan reaction in Congress.

Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Victor I. Nava. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter: @dailyondefense.

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NOTE TO READERS: Daily on Defense will not be published tomorrow, Veterans Day, as we observe the federal holiday honoring those who serve in America’s armed forces. We’ll return to your inbox Thursday, Nov. 12.

HAPPENING TODAY: The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe at 11 a.m., for a hearing on the “Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation,” the name of the FBI probe into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election. McCabe is expected to testify that the FBI had a duty to follow up on information provided to the bureau. 106 Dirksen, Livestream at https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings

HAPPENING TOMORROW: The National Museum of the United States Army officially opens to the public on Veterans Day. The museum located on a publically accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is billed as “the first and only museum to tell the 245-year history of the U.S. Army since its establishment in 1775.”

“What we tried to do is capture significant events all throughout history. We want the American people to come to the museum to see the accomplishments, the sacrifices, and the commitments of our soldiers,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. “The Army’s history is their history. We exist to protect the nation. That’s our job. That’s what we work hard to do every single day, and we’re very proud to serve the American people.”

The grand opening will be held virtually at 2 p.m. tomorrow and will be livestreamed at https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/25129.

ESPER’S MOST TELLING COMMENT: In his interview with Military Times, Esper confirmed what many suspected. He was “managing up,” deliberately not reacting to or confirming various random pronouncements made by the president in order to essentially ignore them.

Declining to clarify anything on the record was a purposeful strategy, Esper said. “Imagine this: ‘Disregard what the president said. This is still the plan,’” Esper suggested. “Now, if I were the president, I’d say, ‘Really? Here you go. Here’s a written piece of paper. You’re coming home by December.’”

Instead, Esper just avoided talking about what the Pentagon was actually doing. “Why get in a mudslinging match when you’re still working for the commander in chief? That doesn’t get you anywhere.”

PULLING TROOPS OUT OF GERMANY: Esper has portrayed President Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw 12,00 troops from Germany and shutter longtime bases there as a smart way to rebalance U.S. forces to counter Russia.

But in his interview, he admits he had no choice. “I can only control what I do … The president’s going to — he’s very transparent in terms of what he wants. And he’s been very clear about his views,” Esper said. “I’m not trying to make anybody happy. What I’m trying to do is, fulfill what he wants — I mean, he’s the duly elected commander in chief — and make the best out of it.”

ALMOST QUIT OVER VINDMAN: Esper had a crisis of conscience when he discovered the White House was trying to interfere in the promotion of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who testified against Trump in the House impeachment hearings.

“You know, the Army had done all its due diligence on him. He was qualified for promotion. They asked me, you know, what to do,” Esper said. “I said, if he’s qualified for promotion, do the right thing, put him on the list. I endorse it. We’ll just let the chips fall where they might.”

Vindman’s decision to retire saved Esper from falling on his sword. If Trump had blocked the promotion, Esper said, “absolutely,” he would have resigned.

But for the most part, Esper was committed to stick it out as long as Trump would have him. “Yeah, look, I mean ― my soldiers don’t get to quit,” he said. “So if I’m going to quit, it better be over something really, really big. And otherwise, look, I’m going to do what I’ve always done, which is try and shape it the best I can.”

At the end of the day, it’s as I said — you’ve got to pick your fights,” he said. “I could have a fight over anything, and I could make it a big fight, and I could live with that — why? Who’s going to come in behind me? It’s going to be a real ‘yes man.’ And then God help us.”

DEMOCRATIC OUTRAGE, REPUBLICAN SILENCE: The reaction to Esper’s firing poured in from Capitol Hill yesterday with Democrats excoriating Trump, and Republicans for the most part either remaining silent or limiting their statements to praise for Esper, with no mention of Trump. Here’s a sampling:

‘A PLAY FOR ATTENTION’: “Firing the Secretary of Defense in the waning weeks of the Administration undermines national security at a critical moment. The President’s choice to fire Secretary Esper is a play for attention and is yet another example of President Trump putting his ego over the needs and security of our nation,” said Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. “Joe Biden is President-elect, and it’s past time for Republican leaders to step up and explain that reality to President Trump before he takes further rash and attention-seeking acts that damage America.”

‘NOT JUST CHILDISH, RECKLESS’: “President Trump’s decision to fire Secretary Esper out of spite is not just childish, it’s also reckless,” said Rep. Adam Smith, the Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “It has long been clear that President Trump cares about loyalty above all else, often at the expense of competence, and during a period of presidential transition competence in government is of the utmost importance.”

‘DEEPLY TROUBLED’: “I’m deeply troubled by President Trump’s firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper just 72 days before a new president will be inaugurated and during a growing global pandemic,” said Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “President Trump must not invite further volatility by removing any Senate-confirmed intelligence or national security officials during his time left in office.”

‘PARAMOUNT … TO MAINTAIN STABILITY’: “I want to thank Secretary Esper for his service – for prioritizing implementation of the National Defense Strategy, for thinking critically about how the Pentagon operates, and for always putting our service members first,” said Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma. “I just spoke with Acting Secretary of Defense Miller, and I look forward to working with him to ensure that these priorities remain paramount and to working with President Trump to maintain stability at the Pentagon, particularly as we work to enact the 60th annual National Defense Authorization Act.”

‘SERVED THE NATION WELL’: “Mark Esper has served the nation well under very challenging circumstances,” said Rep. Mac Thornberry, the outgoing ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. “He has helped lead the Department of Defense toward being more efficient and better prepared to deter peer adversaries. He has been an effective advocate for the men and women in uniform and their families. He deserves the gratitude of every American.”

‘AN OUTSTANDING SECRETARY’: “Mark Esper was an outstanding Secretary of Defense,” said Ohio Rep. Mike Turner, ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, “His leadership had the support of our military and the American people.”

‘ALARMING, VINDICTIVENESS’: “In my experience, there would only be a few reasons to fire a secretary of defense with 72 days left in an administration,” said Michigan Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin. “One would be incompetence or wrongdoing, which do not seem to be the issue with Secretary Esper. A second would be vindictiveness, which would be an irresponsible way to treat our national security. A third would be because the president wants to take actions that he believes his secretary of defense would refuse to take, which would be alarming. Whatever the reason, casting aside a secretary of defense during the volatile days of transition seems to neglect the president’s most important duty: to protect our national security.”

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller quickly brought up to speed in new role

Washington Examiner: Defense Secretary Mark Esper ‘terminated’ by Trump

Washington Examiner: Russia laments lack of diplomatic progress during Trump presidency

Washington Examiner: Turkey-backed Azerbaijan shoots down Russian helicopter, killing two

Washington Examiner: Mexican military shows its strength just south of US border to keep migrants from crossing

Politico: With Esper Gone, Democrats Concerned Over What Trump Will Do With The Military

New York Times: Aggressive Strategy Appears To Have Foiled Iranian And Russian Election Meddling

NPR: Operation Warp Speed’s Logistics Chief Weighs In On Vaccine Progress

Wall Street Journal: Biden, as President, Will Shift U.S. Toolkit on China

Stars and Stripes: Defense Experts Predict Quick Cost-Sharing Deal Between South Korea, Biden Administration

Defense News: Some German Officials Hope Biden Will Reverse U.S. Troop Drawdown

Washington Post: Iran Reacts To Biden’s Win With Caution As Diplomatic Opportunity Appears

USNI News: CNO Gilday: Navy Needs ‘Fundamental Change’ In How It Develops Fighters

Defense Daily: GAO: Navy Did Not Assess Cost/Benefit Of Hybrid Electric Drive Before Moving To New Effort

Washington Post: White House official and former GOP political operative Michael Ellis named as NSA general counsel

Washington Post: With Biden’s election, wary North Korea could resume missile testing

Task & Purpose: The Marine Corps Has Finally Fielded Its First New Amphibious Vehicle Since The Vietnam War

The Capital: Midshipman Makes History As First Black Female Brigade Commander At The Naval Academy

Reuters: Another U.S. Facility Demolished At Cambodia Base – U.S. Think-Tank

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump’s firing of Mark Esper is petulant and pointless

Washington Examiner: Opinion: How China will try to play Joe Biden

Forbes: Airbus Wants To Sell Space Services To U.S. Spy Agencies. That Raises Some Questions.

Calendar

TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 10

8:30 a.m. — American Conference Institute virtual conference session: “Gazing into the Crystal Ball: How the Results of the November Election will Impact U.S. Sanctions Policy Objectives and New Legislation Coming Down the Pike.” https://www.americanconference.com

8:30 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual 2020 Asian Architecture Conference, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Atul Keshap; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Regional and Security Policy and Multilateral Affairs David Feith; former U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Nina Hachigian; Dino Patti Djalal, founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia; and Huong Le Thu, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. https://www.csis.org/events/online-event

9 a.m. — National Defense Industrial Association Virtual Systems and Mission Engineering Conference, with Sandra Magnus, deputy director for engineering in the Office of the Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering; Kristen Baldwin, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for science, technology and engineering; Jeannette Evans-Morgis, chief systems engineer and assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology; David McNeill, chief engineer at the Missile Defense Agency; John Fiore, acting chief engineer and assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition; and Sandra Magnus, deputy director for engineering in the Office of the Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering, participate in a discussion on “Service and Agency Systems Engineering Leads.” https://www.ndia.org/events

9 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States webinar: “State of the Unions: The U.S. 2020 Elections and U.S. Foreign Policy Post-2020,” with Former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland https://www.gmfus.org/events

9 a.m. — American Enterprise Institute webcast: “Gray-zone aggression: Countering a growing national security threat,” with Elisabeth Braw and Pål Jonson of the Swedish Parliament; retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, Cyberspace Solarium Commission; and Hélène Galy of Willis Research Network. https://www.aei.org/events/gray-zone-aggression

9:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security webinar: “Top National Security Threats and Priorities for the Biden Administration,” with Barry Pavel, former special assistant to the president for defense policy and strategy on the National Security Council staff; Matthew Kroenig, former strategist in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Markus Garlauskas, former U.S. national intelligence officer for North Korea; Clementine Starling, deputy director, Forward Defense, Scowcroft Center. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/events

10 a.m. — Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute virtual launch of the Center for Freedom and Democracy, with keynote remarks by Secretary Mike Pompeo followed by a conversation with Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim. https://www.reaganfoundation.org/

10 a.m. — National Press Club Newsmaker Program virtual news conference, with Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie. https://www.press.org/events/headliners

11 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the United States webinar: “What’s Next, America?: Taking Stock One Week After the Election,” with Margaret Carlson, opinion columnist at the Daily Beast; retired Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, military and diplomatic analyst at CNN; and Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, vice president and head of the Berlin office of GMF. https://www.gmfus.org/events/transatlantic-tuesdays

12 p.m. — Georgetown University virtual discussion: “U.S. Response to Cyber Incidents,” with , with Jonah Hill, cybersecurity strategist in the Secret Service’s Office of Investigations. https://www.georgetown.edu/event

1 p.m. — Government Executive Media Group virtual discussion: “Digital Transformation in the Defense and Space Domains,” Air Force Chief Software Officer Nicolas Chaillan, co-lead of the Defense Department Enterprise DevSecOps Initiative; Air Force Maj. Gen. Kimberly Crider, chief technology and innovation officer at the Space Force; Tim Selph, deputy director of the Army Futures Command’s Network Cross Functional Team; Philomena Zimmerman, deputy director for engineering/tools/environments in the Office of the Defense undersecretary for research and engineering; Josh Jackson, senior vice president of the SAIC Operations Defense Systems Group; Patrick Tucker, technology editor at Defense One; and Daniela Fayer, publisher of Defense One. https://www.defenseone.com/feature

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 11 | VETERANS DAY

Federal offices closed. No Daily on Defense

9 a.m. — Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service virtual Veterans Day Observance to honor the 16 million men and women who served in World War II. Livestream at https://tinyurl.com/y54pdurw

11 a.m. Arlington National Cemetery — U.S. Army Military District of Washington holds its 67th National Veterans Day Observance with Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie participating in a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Livestream at https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/25131

1 p.m. — Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund virtual Veterans Day commemoration. Livestream at https://www.vvmf.org/event/Virtual-Veterans-Day-2020/

1 p.m. 701 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. — U.S. Navy Memorial Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony with the U.S. Navy Band and Ceremonial Guard. https://www.navymemorial.org/new-events

4:30 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual film screening and discussion “Veterans Day 2020,” to celebrate military service, with former CIA Director retired Gen. David Petraeus, board director at the Atlantic Council; director Seema Sueko; executive producer Steven Grundman, senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security; screenwriter Michelle Kholos Brooks, nonresident fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security; and Nathan Graeser, director of veteran initiatives at Southern California Grantmakers. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/veterans-day-2020/

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 12

8 a.m. — Henry L. Stimson Center security brief: “Taiwan in 2020,” Eleanor Albert, Ph.D. in residence at the George Washington University International Security and Conflict Studies Program; Emily Chen, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Tokyo; and Pamela Kennedy, research analyst in the Stimson East Asia Program. https://www.stimson.org/event/taiwan

9 a.m. — Brookings Institution webcast: “U.S.-Taiwan Policy in 2021 and Beyond,” with Eric Sayers, adjunct senior fellow in the Center for a New American Security’s Asia-Pacific Security Program; Bonnie Glaser, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ China Power Project; Ryan Hass, fellow in the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies; Richard Bush, nonresident senior fellow in the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies; and Syaru Shirley Lin, nonresident senior fellow in the Brookings Center for East Asia Policy. https://www.brookings.edu/events

9 a.m. — Intelligence National Security Alliance webinar on “top priorities in the DOD’s acquisition and sustainment office,” with Katie Arrington, chief information security officer for the Defense Department’s Undersecretary of Acquisition and Sustainment. https://www.insaonline.org/event

9:30 a.m. — Atlantic Council webinar: “The French-American Defense Relationship and Post-COVID-19 Alliances,” with French Ambassador to the United States Philippe Etienne; former U.S. Naval Forces in Europe Commander Adm. James Foggo, fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis; Torrey Taussig, research director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s “Transatlantic Relations 2020”; Alice Guitton, director general for international relations and strategy at the French Ministry of the Armed Forces; Olivier-Remy Bel, visiting fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative; and Jeff Lightfoot, nonresident senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Center for Strategy and Security. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event

2 p.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group conference call conversation with Vice Adm. William Galinis, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command. https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu/

TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 17

11 a.m. — The Heritage Foundation releases its 2021 Index of U.S. Military Strength, with Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry, ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/virtual-event