United States President, Donald Trump appears to be launching a last-gasp purge of the country’s Public Service before he leaves office on 20 January, sending heads rolling across key Agencies.
The President’s dismissal of Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper (pictured) and other top Pentagon officials paves the way for the withdrawal of most US troops from the nation’s longest-running war in Afghanistan, and from Iraq.
Sources suggest that Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Gina Haspel might also be heading for the exit as the President’s allies accuse her of obstructing efforts to declassify top-secret materials they say would expose wrongdoing in Russia investigations.
A shake-up is under way at the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Cyber Division, where top officials have disputed Mr Trump’s baseless claims that Democrats fraudulently stole the election from him.
The President has installed loyalists at Agencies responsible for overseeing the Government’s environmental and energy regulations, and there is speculation that he could clean house at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Mr Trump has long been frustrated by what he views as entrenched Government bureaucrats working behind the scenes to block his agenda.
The President’s allies say Mr Trump has nothing to lose and is on the warpath against the Government officials he thinks are standing in the way of a final policy blitz before he leaves office.
Current and former Washington officials are watching with alarm, worried about what they view as Mr Trump’s erratic behaviour and the potential for unforeseen developments that could have national security consequences at a time of deep unrest and confusion.
Under-secretary of Defence under former President, George W. Bush, Dov Zakheim, said Mr Trump did not want anyone in position to help the transition [to incoming President, Joe Biden].
“You need Government holdovers who can assist the new people coming in. Trump is causing disruption and making that transition very difficult,” Mr Zakheim said.
Washington, 16 November 2020
