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As election draws near, speculation grows that Esper’s days as Pentagon chief are numbered

By Jamie McIntyre
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As election draws near, speculation grows that Esper’s days as Pentagon chief are numbered

ONE WAY OR ANOTHER: Defense Secretary Mark Esper may be coming to the end of his tenure as the civilian leader of the U.S. military, but he’s not showing any sign he’s worried about it. Esper’s been on a whirlwind travel schedule, and in recent weeks has been making the rounds of think tanks promoting his Battle Force 2045 plan to counter China and retool the U.S. military.

But reports began circulating back in June that President Trump had lost confidence in Esper after the former Army captain broke ranks with his commander in chief over Trump’s desire to invoke the Insurrection Act to use active-duty troops to quell violence in American cities.

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