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Trump 'terminates' defence secretary Esper on Twitter after rocky tenure

Christopher Miller, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be acting Pentagon chief.

Mark Esper
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FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2020, Mark Esper speaks before a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, at the Pentagon in Washington. President Donald Trump has fired Esper. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Justin Sink | Bloomberg New Delhi
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper was fired in a tweet on Monday, as President Donald Trump went after a top aide he blamed for not supporting him sufficiently.
 
Trump said he’s naming Christopher Miller, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, as acting Pentagon chief.

Esper’s relationship with Trump soured after the Pentagon chief resisted Trump’s inclination to use active-duty forces to quell protests in U.S. cities earlier this year.

Esper’s departure could foreshadow a broader post-election purge of appointees who displeased the president. It also means Trump will have seen the departure of two confirmed defense secretaries in less

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