Acting Pentagon policy chief resigns day after Trump’s dismissal of Defense Secretary Mark Esper

James Anderson, the Pentagon’s acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, resigned on Tuesday a day after President Trump sacked Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Anderson had been assigned to the Second-in-Command, but had served as Pentagon’s chief policy officer since June. “Today, as always, our long-term success depends on upholding the US Constitution which all public servants swear to support and defend,” Anderson wrote in his resignation letter, which precedes a planned request to resign from the White House.

Insiders told Politico they expected Anderson to be the first of several departures after Esper’s sacking and that he clashed with other people appointed by Trump. His departure leaves a power gap that could be filled by his deputy Anthony Tata, who was removed from consideration for the high-level post last year because of Islamophobic tweets. Tata also pushed the “deep state cabal” conspiracy theories.