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Mark Esper
Biden makes pick for new Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman — but Senate confirmation could be tricky
President Joe Biden is expected to pick current Air Force chief CQ Brown to become the new chief of the Joint Staff. Brown would bring experience confronting some of the...
Former defense secretary Esper says Trump is 'unfit for office’
Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper slammed former President Donald Trump as "unfit for office” a day after he announced the launch of his 2024 presidential campaign.
Trump blasts ex-Pentagon chief Esper as 'lightweight,' says he had to run military himself
Former President Donald Trump called his one-time defense secretary Mark Esper a "lightweight" Sunday and claimed he was forced to "run the military" himself due to Esper's incompetence.
Former defense secretary sues government for blocking material from his book
Mark Esper accused the Pentagon of restricting him from using unclassified materials for his book about his experience with Donald Trump.
Let down your hair: Army announces new rules for ponytails, nail color
WASHINGTON — Female soldiers can let their hair down, and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. But male soldiers will still have to...
President Trump tweets firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper
President Trump announced on Twitter Monday that he has fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper and will replace him with an acting secretary.
Defense secretary reportedly ready to resign after clashes with Trump
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has prepared a resignation letter in anticipation of being ousted by President Trump after the election, according to a report. Esper has a rocky relationship with...
Trump reportedly plans to dump FBI boss if he wins second term
FBI Director Christopher Wray would be ousted if President Trump wins a second term in office and Defense Secretary Mark Esper could be right behind him, according to a report....
Pentagon says no changes after Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis
The Department of Defense on Friday said there was no change to the state of alert following President Trump's coronavirus diagnosis. "The US military stands ready to defend our country...
Pentagon to shut down military newspaper Stars and Stripes
Defense Secretary Mark Esper decided to cease publication as part of his department-wide budget review.
Trump wants to replace defense secretary after election: report
WASHINGTON -- President Trump wants to replace Mark Esper after the November election because of his defense secretary's hesitation to deploy active US military to quell violent protests, a report...
Pentagon eyes new way to bar Confederate flag, officials say
WASHINGTON — Defense leaders, who for weeks have been tied in knots over the incendiary issue of banning the Confederate flag, are weighing a new policy that would bar its...
Mark Esper tells Congress he wasn't briefed on Russian 'bounties'
Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he was not briefed on alleged Russian "bounties" to kill US troops in Afghanistan — and that he would have been if there was credible...
White House will keep US troops at Mexico border through 2021
US troops are set to remain at the country’s border with Mexico until late next year -- though 1,500 fewer service members will be in place, according to a report....
Trump says George Floyd protesters 'weren't able to say' why they demonstrated
Asked whether the pushback he later got from Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper over the photo offended him, the president said:...
Trump opposes renaming US military bases named after Confederate leaders
President Trump came out Wednesday in opposition to renaming US bases named after Confederate military leaders, saying they are part of the "Great American Heritage." "It has been suggested that...
Trump reportedly wanted to fire defense secretary for not using troops against protesters
President Trump wanted to fire Mark Esper last week after the defense secretary balked at the commander in chief’s plan to use active-duty military personnel to quell civilian unrest, a...
Trump sending troops home from DC amid standoff with Pentagon
Amid a standoff with the Pentagon over the role of the military in responding to protests after the death of George Floyd, President Trump has agreed to begin sending home...
Trump defends his 'photo op' while visiting fire-damaged Washington church
President Trump on Wednesday defended as “very symbolic” his visit to a fire-damaged church near the White House. But Trump said he didn’t know anti-police-brutality protesters, who had occupied the...
Def. Sec. Esper reverses course, will keep troops near DC for protests
WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Mark Esper has reversed course and decided not to return active-duty troops to their home bases after they were deployed near Washington for possible action in...