After his dismissal of Defense Secretary Mark Esper
Pelosi: Trump intends to sow chaos in his last days
Pelosi called the dismissal an "act of revenge."
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US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the dismissal of outgoing President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper is "evidence of Trump's intention to sow chaos in his last days in office."
Pelosi added, "It is disturbing that reports show that this dismissal was an act of revenge on the part of the President, alleging Minister Esper's refusal to send military forces on active duty to suppress peaceful demonstrations against police brutality."
And she continued, "However, what is most disturbing is that the timing of this dismissal raises serious questions about Trump's planned actions in the last days of his administration."
Democratic Representative Adam Smith, who leads the House Armed Services Committee, condemned Trump's decision, describing it as "childish" and "reckless."
Trump announced yesterday evening that he had terminated the service of Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
"Mark Esper's service has been terminated," Trump said on Twitter.
I am pleased to announce that Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center (whose appointment has been approved by the Senate unanimously), and who is widely respected, will be acting Secretary of Defense with immediate effect.
Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows called Esper minutes before the announcement, to alert him that Trump would fire him via Twitter.
In a letter to the Defense Ministry, Esper said he was "stepping down, realizing that there was a lot we could have accomplished."
The dispute erupted between Esper and Trump over a number of issues, and Trump was particularly angered by Esper's announcement of his opposition to Trump's threat to use the military to quell street protests, following the killing of George Floyd, after police tried to arrest him in Minneapolis this summer.
A Democrat describes Trump's decision as "childish and reckless."
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