Ruppersberger Issues Statement on Termination of Defense Secretary Mark Esper

(Washington, DC) – Defense Appropriator and Maryland Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today issued the following statement after President Donald Trump terminated Secretary of Defense Mark Esper via Twitter:

“I have known Secretary Esper for over a decade. He is a man of principles, and that includes taking a stand against President Trump’s efforts to dispatch troops to peaceful protests across the country and expressing an openness to removing echoes of the Confederacy from U.S. military property. We should expect more petty score-settling over the next ten weeks of the waning Trump presidency.

Our national security is our most fundamental and important responsibility as federal elected officials. In rotating through five Secretaries and Acting Secretaries of Defense in four years, Donald Trump has made clear to the world that he does not take this responsibility serious enough.

A peaceful and productive transition of power is a hallmark of our American democracy. Both the President and President Elect must coordinate to ensure a seamless hand-off, especially when it comes to our national security. Rather than sowing confusion, we should be projecting strength to our adversaries and unity to our allies.”