正如许多人预料的那样，总统先生唐纳德·特朗普周一在推特上说，他已经解雇了国防部长马克·埃斯珀。
“我很高兴地宣布，备受尊敬的国家反恐中心主任克里斯托弗·米勒(参议院一致确认)将担任代理国防部长，立即生效.....克里斯会做得很好的!马克·埃斯珀已经被终结了。我要感谢他的服务，”特朗普在推特上说。
奥利维尔·杜利里/法新社，通过盖蒂图像，文件
在这张2019年12月10日的档案照片中，国防部长马克·埃斯珀在
此举是在特朗普失去连任两天后采取的，当时他预计将清洗他长期不满的政府高层成员。
特朗普特别不高兴的是斯珀反对使用现役军人暴动法案处理乔治·弗洛伊德六月的抗议活动，因为总统威胁要下令。
通过路透社，文件芯片索莫德维拉/池
在这张2020年9月17日的档案照片中，国家反恐中心主任克里斯托弗·米勒·特斯
五角大楼官员争先恐后地对总统的推特做出反应。
据一名美国官员称，斯珀已经准备好了辞职信，斯珀正强烈考虑在可能被解雇前辞职。
据一名国防官员称，白宫办公厅主任马克·梅多斯打电话给斯珀，警告他特朗普解雇他的推特即将发布，但该官员不知道梅多斯提前多少时间打电话给斯珀。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西在随后发表的声明中直言不讳。
她说:“国务卿斯珀被突然解雇令人不安，这表明特朗普总统打算利用他任职的最后几天在我们的美国民主和世界各地制造混乱。”。“在总统过渡期间，连续性和稳定性始终很重要;在这个历史上反复无常的政府准备离任的时刻，这些措施是绝对必要的。
“令人关切的是，有报道表明，这次开火是总统的报复行为，据称是因为斯珀国务卿拒绝派遣现役军人镇压反对警察暴行的和平示威。然而，最令人不安的是，这一解雇的时机对特朗普政府最后几天的计划行动提出了严重问题，”她的声明继续说道。
“特朗普的鲁莽一再危及我们的国家安全。佩洛西说:“在这个危险的时刻，我们的军队将由一名未经参议院批准的官员领导，这是令人不安和危险的。”。
米勒在总统发推特称斯珀被解雇一小时后抵达五角大楼。
据一名高级国防官员称，米勒对高级工作人员的指导是继续国防部的任务，目前没有重大变化。这位官员强调，国防部内部的指挥链从未中断，因为这一切都是立即发生的。
也是在周一下午，参谋长联席会议主席马克·米利将军和作战指挥官通过安全视频会议就五角大楼的过渡进行了交谈。
这位国防官员说，米勒得到了一系列与代理国防部长有关的简报，包括核法规和世界各地的当前行动。
Trump says he's fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper
As many had expected, PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday said, in a tweet, that he had fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
"I am pleased to announce that Christopher C. Miller, the highly respected Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (unanimously confirmed by the Senate), will be Acting Secretary of Defense, effective immediately.. ...Chris will do a GREAT job! Mark Esper has been terminated. I would like to thank him for his service," Trump tweeted.
The move comes two days after Trump lost reelection and when he was expected to purge top members of his administration with whom he had long been unhappy.
Trump was particularly displeased thatEsper had opposedusing active-duty military under theInsurrection Actto deal with the George Floyd protests in June, as the president had threatened to order.
Pentagon officials were scrambling to react to the president's tweet.
According to a U.S. official, Esper had a resignation letter ready and that Esper was strongly considering resigning ahead of a possible firing.
According to a defense official, Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, called Esper to warn him that Trump’s tweet firing him was coming, but the official did not know how much in advance Meadows called Esper.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi didn't mince words in a statement issued shortly afterward.
"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," she said. "Continuity and stability are always important during a presidential transition; they are absolutely imperative at this moment, as this historically erratic Administration prepares for its departure.
"It is concerning that reports show that this firing was an act of retribution by the President, allegedly for Secretary Esper’s refusal to send active-duty military troops to crack down on peaceful demonstrations against police brutality. Most disturbingly, however, the timing of this dismissal raises serious questions about Trump’s planned actions for the final days of his Administration," her statement continued.
"Again and again, Trump’s recklessness endangers our national security. It is disturbing and dangerous that, at this precarious moment, our military will now be led by an official who has not been confirmed for this position by the Senate," Pelosi said.
Miller arrived at the Pentagon exactly one hour after the president tweeted that Esper had been fired.
According to a senior defense official, Miller’s guidance to senior staff was to continue the DOD’s mission with no significant changes at this time. The official stressed that the chain of command within the Department of Defense was never broken because it all happened immediately.
Also Monday afternoon, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the combatant commanders spoke via secure videoconference about the transition at the Pentagon.
Miller was getting a series of briefings on all matters relating to being the acting secretary of defense, including about the nuclear codes and current operations around the world, the defense official said.
