Trump Revokes Another Security Clearance
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has had his security detail revoked by President Trump, joining a growing list of former officials who have faced the loss of their security provisions after speaking out against the president. Esper, who served at the Pentagon from July 2019 until November 2020, had his protection taken away on the evening of February 9, 2025, following his criticism of the former president.
Esper’s security was initially provided due to threats from Iran in the aftermath of the 2020 strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Despite this, he now finds himself among a number of former officials whose protection has been stripped after publicly opposing or criticizing Trump. While the Pentagon and White House declined to comment on the decision, a spokesperson from the Defense Department cited privacy laws as the reason for not disclosing specifics about individual security details.
The relationship between President Trump and Mark Esper had been deteriorating well before Esper’s departure from the Pentagon in 2020. One key point of contention came during the summer of that year when Esper opposed the use of active-duty military personnel to respond to protests across the country. This disagreement highlighted a larger struggle during Trump’s first term over how the military should engage in domestic matters.
In more recent times, Esper, along with other former Trump administration officials, has voiced criticism of Trump’s decisions, including the nomination of Kash Patel as FBI Director. Patel, according to Esper, nearly sabotaged a critical special forces mission in West Africa. Patel’s spokesperson has denied these allegations.
Esper is not alone in having faced this treatment. Other former Trump officials, including John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and General Mark Milley, have also had their security details removed after becoming outspoken critics of the former president. Milley, who lost his security clearance in January 2025, has publicly referred to Trump as a “fascist.” In response, Trump has suggested extreme measures, including the execution of Milley, and criticized the pardons issued by President Biden to his critics.
