Trump Fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper

President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday and announced Christopher Miller, previously the National Counterterrorism Center director, as acting defense secretary in a tweet. Though shifting Pentagon priorities and rising tension in the White House suggested Esper's exit for some time, Esper told Military Times that he had no intention of quitting. Trump's termination of Esper raises questions about the actions the president might take during the next few months in the White House, in anticipation of projected winner Joe Biden taking office. Coverage from across the political spectrum tended to focus on Esper's history in the White House, as well as speculation about Trump's potential actions between now and January.