Pentagon's top policy official resigns after clashing with the White House

[demmiblue]

Source: Politico

The Pentagon’s acting policy chief resigned on Tuesday after falling out of favor with the White House, raising fears of a post-election purge at the Defense Department.

The departure of James Anderson, the acting undersecretary of defense for policy, potentially paves the way for Anthony Tata, President Donald Trump’s controversial nominee for the top policy job who was pulled from contention due to Islamophobic tweets, to take over the policy shop. Anderson's resignation also comes one day after Defense Secretary Mark Esper was fired by Trump, also over policy disagreements.

Anderson, who was confirmed in June as the No. 2 policy official but has been acting in the top job, submitted his letter of resignation on Tuesday morning, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO. He had been expected to be asked by the White House to resign in the next few days.

“I am particularly grateful to have been entrusted with leading the dedicated men and women of Policy, who play a key role in our Nation’s security,” Anderson wrote in the letter. “Now, as ever, our long-term success depends on adhering to the U.S. Constitution all public servants swear to support and defend.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/10/pentagon-top-policy-official-resigns-435693

[BusyBeingBest]

1. Career people are leaving, being replaced by crackpots.

Hopefully the crackpots can't do too much damage in two months.

[ffr]

2. tRump bulding his secret police, whomever's still remaining in the military to protect him

in his WH bunker. You have to expect that some of them will follow his orders, instead of their oath.

This is going to get bloody.

[mr_lebowski]

4. That seems to be the logical conclusion to derive from his not-so-cryptic message ...

Trump is attempting an anti-democratic COUP.

Everyone involved needs to go to jail for Sedition, and quite honestly I think at this point the President and Vice-President Elect need to start mentioning it publicly.

[matt819]

3. WTF?

We can all speculate on the why any of these appointments are in trump's interest. By speculate I mean create conspiracy theories. And we all know that anyone in trump's orbit is, by definition and default, an utter sleaze. But, really, what can these late appointees hope to achieve in 70 days. Is it ego? Corruption? Coup?

[mr_lebowski]

5. He wants the leadership of the military on his side for when he refuses to leave office ...

This is an ongoing coup.

That's my speculation.

[ffr]

6. Clear as day.

For those who don't understand tRumps slow-rolling methods.

It's not just that tRump doesn't want to leave office, he knows he can't leave office. The constitutional world beyond the protections he has from McConnell are anything from life behind bars to having his kneecaps shot off or worse by the Russian mafia.

He and his family will never be able to drink iced tea in public again.

tRump knows staying in the white house is his and his family's only chance.

[mr_lebowski]

8. Good thing he's stupid, lazy, and nobody likes him other than Cult45 ...

I also don't think our system of government was quite weakened enough under his leadership, though he tried (thanks Vlad!) to be entirely undermined by this fuckface.

[matt819]

9. Today's quiz: List all words similar to stupid, but stronger

If I had a supply of tinfoil hats with me in the office, I'd put one on?

A military coup?

As they say, let me get this straight.

He believes - or it's possible that he believes - that the very professional military, lead by (mostly) men and (some) women with decades of experience are going to follow the orders of a secretary of defense, who will have been on the job for less than 3 months, to somehow take up on trump's behalf to prevent Joe Biden from being inaugurated?

Or. . . he believes that some deeply seeded rogue elements of the military are going to take up arms on his command to secure his position in the White House?

This has to fall into the category of, well, I don't even know if there's a category for this?

Time to stock up on popcorn?

[mr_lebowski]

10. I'm not saying it will succeed, if you're implying I'm stupid enough to think it would, I don't

But I can almost guarantee that Trump is stupid and desperate enough to TRY.

Given that he has no concept of him personally paying a price for his misdeeds, nor any care about the fate of this country, why wouldn't he?

[matt819]

11. No

I wasn't suggesting you were stupid. Been here long enough to know that's a no-no.

I was suggesting that if this is the plan, that's beyond stupid, and trump definitely falls into the beyond stupid rante.

And, hey, I tend to agree. Anything is possible. But when I get into the range of possibilities, my brain begins to hurt.

[robbob]

7. Start a war?

And then declare a state of emergency in which there can be no transfer of power? Sound crazy? Guess what: tRump of frickin’ insane. And, as pointed out below, desperate to stay in power at any cost.