President Trump has had three defense secretaries during his tenure, and he may soon have his fourth. NBC News reports White House officials are in talks with Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie about stepping in as defense secretary should Trump fire existing Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Wilkie's role on the White House's COVID-19 task force apparently raised his profile with the president.
Trump has reportedly long been displeased with Esper, who has been in the role for about a year. He recently broke with Trump on a handful of issues including renaming military bases that are named for Confederate leaders (Esper said yes, Trump said no) and invoking the Insurrection Act to send federal troops to cities experiencing protests (Esper said no, Trump said maybe). Now, tensions are especially high between Trump and Esper, NBC News reports, as the president faces backlash for allegedly calling U.S. veterans "losers" and "suckers."
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