President Donald Trump has unexpectedly withdrawn the high-level security protection provided to his former Defense Secretary, Mark Esper. This decision, confirmed by a reliable source on Wednesday, adds to the growing number of officials who have faced consequences from their former boss. Esper, along with several other top aides, had still retained security protection after leaving their positions due to threats stemming from their actions while serving in the Trump administration. Among those who have had their security details revoked in the initial weeks of Trump’s term are Gen. Mark Milley, former national security adviser John Bolton, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The removal of Esper’s portrait from the Pentagon’s walls last week came as a shock to other former senior aides who had worked under Trump during his first term. Trump has privately expressed dissatisfaction with Esper, leading to his dismissal shortly after the 2020 election. Their relationship had deteriorated to the point that Trump openly referred to Esper as “Yesper.” In a book, Esper vividly described the chaos of Trump’s presidency, recounting instances where he was asked to use force against protesters and criticizing Trump as “unprincipled.” Despite multiple requests, the White House has not provided a comment on this matter. Esper, who works as a CNN contributor, has chosen not to offer a statement. To stay updated with more CNN news and receive newsletters, sign up for an account on CNN.com.
