Trump’s defense attorney, Mark Esper, has reportedly drafted a resignation letter regardless of the outcome of the election.
It is not uncommon for Cabinet Secretaries to draft letters of resignation during a transition of power, but Esper is expected to be one of the cabinet members that Trump replaces in the event that he wins.
According to NBC News, Esper’s relationship with Trump has deteriorated to the point where he believes he can no longer work with Trump if he loses the election.
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Back in June, Esper was critical of Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the military in cities with Black Lives Matter protests. Esper is currently helping Congress draft legislation that will strip Confederate names from Army bases. This would put him at even greater odds against Donald Trump, who has made it clear that he wants Confederate statues and memorials to stay up in the United States.
He also plans on working with Congress to put this in the National Defense Authorization Act, which would make it law.
NBC News also reports that Esper has been thinking about his legacy. At one point, Esper was seen as one of Trump’s many “Yes” men and was even called “Yesper.” Now, it seems as if he would rather be fired for standing up to Trump.
“He cares about his legacy and prefers to be remembered as someone who was fired because he stood up to the president, rather than being remembered as ‘Yesper,’” one defense official said.