The White House’s post-impeachment loyalty purge is creating high-level personnel churn, felling two senior officials this week and raising new questions about Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s waning influence.
The two departures bring to four the number of high-level civilians who have left the Pentagon since February, when the White House installed a new personnel manager charged with identifying officials who aren’t considered loyal enough to the president.
The moves are sending a clear signal to the Defense Department leadership that those who aren’t viewed as completely on board with the president will either be ousted or passed over for higher positions.
