Trump loyalists get top Pentagon jobs after Esper firing

11 November 2020, 01:44

Donald Trump
Donald Trump. Picture: PA

More military personnel changes have fuelled concerns of a push against figures seen as not loyal enough to Donald Trump.

A day after Donald Trump fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper, three staunch loyalists to the president have been appointed to senior defence jobs.

Among them was a former Fox News commentator who failed to pass Senate confirmation because of offensive remarks he made, including about Islam.

The abrupt changes sent reverberations through the Pentagon as nervous civilian and military personnel waited for more developments. And they fuelled worries of a wider effort to drum out anyone considered not loyal enough to Mr Trump.

The unease was palpable inside the building throughout the day over concerns about what the Trump administration may do in the months before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, and whether there will be a greater effort to politicise the historically apolitical military.

While radical policy shifts seem unlikely before the January 20 inauguration, the changes could further damage prospects for a smooth transition already hampered by Mr Trump’s refusal to concede his election loss.

Trump Pentagon
New defence chief Christopher Miller (Tom Williams/AP)

James Anderson, who had been acting under-secretary for policy, resigned on Tuesday morning and was quickly replaced by Anthony Tata, a retired army one-star general.

A short time later, Joseph Kernan, a retired navy vice-admiral, stepped down as under-secretary for intelligence, hastening what had been an already planned post-election departure. Mr Kernan was replaced by Ezra Cohen-Watnick, who becomes acting under-secretary for intelligence.

The departures came on Christopher Miller’s second day on the job as defence chief. Mr Miller also brought in his own chief of staff in Kash Patel, who, like Mr Cohen-Watnick, is considered staunchly loyal to Mr Trump and previously worked at the National Security Council.

Mr Patel was among the small group of aides who travelled with Mr Trump extensively during the final stretch of the campaign. He is also a former prosecutor in the national security division of the Department of Justice and former staff member on the House Intelligence Committee. In that post, he was a top aide to Republican representative Devin Nunes, leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Mr Patel was linked in media accounts to efforts to discredit the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Trump Esper
Former Defence Secretary Mark Esper, who was fired by Donald Trump on Monday (Alex Brandon/AP)

This is Mr Trump’s second attempt to secure the policy job for Mr Tata, who has been a regular commentator on Fox News.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump appointed Mr Tata to the post, but the Senate cancelled a hearing on the nomination when it became clear it would be difficult if not impossible to have him confirmed. Mr Tata withdrew his name from consideration for the job, which is the third-highest position in the department, and Mr Trump then appointed him to serve in the job of deputy under-secretary.

According to media reports, Mr Tata posted tweets in 2018 calling Islam the “most oppressive violent religion I know of,” and called former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” and referred to him as Muslim. The tweets were later taken down.

At the time of the Senate hearing, Democratic representative Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Mr Trump must not prioritise loyalty over competence and install someone in a job if the “appointee cannot gain the support of the Senate, as is clearly the case with Tata”.

While the personnel changes added to the tumult in the wake of Mr Esper’s departure, it’s not clear how much impact they could have on the massive Pentagon bureaucracy. The department is anchored by the tenet of civilian control of the military, and much of its day-to-day activities are conducted by career policy experts and military leaders who adhere to a strict chain of command.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Donald Trump with Matt Gaetz

Trump's pick for US attorney-general faced sex-trafficking investigation by department he's now set to lead

TOPSHOT-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-DISPLACED

Ukraine-style visa scheme for Gaza families proposed by Labour MP

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office

Donald Trump names ‘reckless’ Matt Gaetz attorney general as president-elect holds historic meeting with Joe Biden

President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump and Biden 'both really enjoyed seeing each other', claims President-elect after historic meeting at White House

President Trump Speaks at America First Agenda Summit

Who has Trump picked to be in his cabinet so far and who is in the running?

Two women - who were part of a global monkey torture network - have been jailed

Two women jailed after being part of 'sickening and sadistic' monkey torture network

US President Joe Biden shakes hands with US President-elect Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in

'Welcome back': Donald Trump returns to the White House to meet Joe Biden and begin transfer of power

Chanel Banks has been missing for over two weeks

Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Banks missing for two weeks as family launch desperate search

Spanish people have been seen bracing for more flooding in drastic ways

Spain takes drastic measures as more flooding looms, as some locals even tie their cars up and wrap them in film

Hvaldimir died earlier this year

Russian 'spy' Beluga whale 'was being trained to guard Kremlin's military base but fled because it was a hooligan'

Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk to his cabinet when he becomes president

Elon Musk to lead US ‘DOGE’ department to cut bureaucracy which they claim will be ‘Manhattan Project of our time’

Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk to his cabinet when he becomes president

Donald Trump confirms tech billionaire Elon Musk will join cabinet when he becomes president

Several sandbags to contain the new flood in Aldaia, Valencia

Flood-hit areas of Spain brace for torrential rain forecast as orange alert issued

The husband of Erin Jayne Plummer has reportedly died in a suspected self-harm incident

Husband of Australian TV star dies suddenly two years after her suicide leaving three kids orphaned

Police in Zhuhai after the incident

Dozens of people killed and over 40 injured after car ploughs into crowd outside stadium in China

A damaged tram in Amsterdam as the city continues to face tensions following violence last week

Violence reignites in Amsterdam as tram set on fire days on from 'anti-Semitic attacks'