Mark Esper (SecDef for those versed in milspeak or govspeak) is in trouble with Bunker Boy (no other identification needed).
Pentagon chief breaks from Trump over use of active-duty military forces to quell unrest
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Wednesday that he does not support the use of active-duty military forces in quelling countrywide unrest — a statement that puts him at odds with President Trump, who has threatened to send troops into U.S. cities.
This comes after Esper tried to deny knowing the streets were being cleared for a photo-op:
Esper says he had no notice before being led to join Trump photo op
and at one point said he thought they were going to look at a toilet:
Trump’s defence secretary thought he was going to see vandalised toilet when he joined controversial photo opp at church
then had to admit he did know all along:
Esper seeks to explain participation in White House photo-op
None of this makes Trump look good. But now Esper is in real deep shit with the Great Orange Shitgibbon:
Pentagon chief on shaky ground with White House after breaking with Trump over protest response
Esper's attempt to distance himself from Trump's view on using the military to restore order went over poorly at the White House, where he was already viewed to be on shaky ground, multiple people familiar with the matter said.
Esper catches White House off guard with opposition to military use, photo op
Multiple sources close to the president tell Axios' Jonathan Swan they were perplexed by the NBC interview and wondered what Esper was trying to achieve. The combination of that interview plus Wednesday's press conference — in which he undercut the president — has the Secretary of Defense in precarious standing with the White House.
Esper Shocks White House by Rebuffing Military Role in Protests
President Donald Trump and other top aides were upset that Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly opposed the deployment of active duty forces to confront protesters in U.S.
and:
Esper is meeting with the president Wednesday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, according to a White House official. The meeting was not on the White House public schedule.
Jennifer Rubin writes about the prevailing wind in Esper’s face:
Esper is apparently so embarrassed by the incident that he is directly contradicting his boss. At a news conference on Wednesday he insisted, “I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act. The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now.” He also promises to investigate the low-flying helicopter that appeared to try to intimidate protesters Monday night. Since Esper has now debased himself both by participating in the stunt and coming up with a pathetic excuse to explain his lack of judgment, it might be time for him to resign.
Since there are reports (on Rachel, no link) that Trump may personally have ordered that helicopter flyover, any hint of an investigation that might point to Bunker Boy (I’m starting to like that moniker!) is not going to sit well.
Esper just might survive today’s meeting (though Trump might order to go to Afghanistan and stay there for a while), but I would not give long odds of his being SecDef too much longer.
Wednesday, Jun 3, 2020 · 6:59:21 PM +00:00 · Dan K
This comment from Aaron Blake’s column in WaPo caught my eye, too:
The fact that Esper decided to grant the interview [to NBC] might be the biggest takeaway here. Regardless of the actual circumstances, it’s evident that he would like to distance himself from the spectacle — a decision that reinforces the dicey nature of what Trump just did.
That is not how to stay on Trump’s “good” side.
Wednesday, Jun 3, 2020 · 7:45:13 PM +00:00 · Dan K
New report shows White House is, shall we say, less than 100% behind the Defense Secretary:
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany would not directly answer Wednesday whether Trump still has confidence in Esper, saying instead, "as of right now Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper."
"With regard to whether the President has confidence, I would say if he loses confidence in Secretary Esper, I'm sure you all will be the first to know," McEnany said during Wednesday's press briefing.
"Should the President lose faith, we will all learn about that in the future," she added.