WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's removal of top civilian leadership at the Pentagon has raised concerns among career defense officials and the incoming Biden administration about what the changes mean — whether he is rewarding loyalists or trying to force through policies the department has resisted over the last four years.
Top Biden transition officials said that postelection upheaval at the Defense Department, Trump's firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the resignations of top defense policy and intelligence chiefs that followed amount to a final push to politicize the military.
The firings and resignations come amid Trump's refusal to acknowledge his electoral defeat and authorize the federal government to begin preparing for a transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden. The defense officials and Biden's team said that gap could increase security risks for the country.
