Trump fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he has fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, reported Xinhua.

"Mark Esper has been terminated," Trump tweeted. "I would like to thank him for his service."

The president said Christopher Miller, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be the Pentagon's acting chief "effective immediately."

The announcement came only days after a spokesman said Esper "has no plans to resign, nor has he been asked to submit a letter of resignation."

Esper, 56, served as secretary of the U.S. Army before beginning to lead the Department of Defense in mid-2019.

During his tenure, Esper was at odds with the White House on several issues, including pulling Confederate names from military bases, a move that the president has publicly opposed.

This summer, when Trump threatened to deploy active-duty troops to respond to nationwide demonstrations, Esper held a press conference in Pentagon making clear his opposition to the idea.