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BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
Palestinian media: Reports of stabbing operation in occupied al-Quds.
Israeli media: Sirens blare in Arava in South, near Ramon Airport.
Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

Former Def Sec says Donald Trump 'dishonest', 'incompetent' for office

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 17 Nov 2022 16:07
  • 4 Shares
3 Min Read

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper believes that former President Donald Trump is "unfit for office" and that the Republican Party should look elsewhere for a primary candidate.

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  • Esper blamed Trump for the Republican Party’s poor results in the midterm elections. Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images
    Mark Esper blamed Donald Trump for the GOP's poor results in the midterm elections. (Getty Images)

Donald Trump's former Defense Secretary slammed his former boss on Wednesday, calling him "unfit for office" just one day after the 45th President announced the launch of his 2024 campaign. “I think he’s unfit for office,” Mark Esper said of Trump in an interview for CNN. 

“He puts himself before country,” the former Pentagon chief continued, adding, “To me, that’s shortcoming number one, and then I believe he has integrity and character issues as well.”

Esper went on to say that one of Trump's "character issues" is his difficulty telling the truth and that he believes Americans want a more trustworthy commander-in-chief. “I don’t think he’s an honest person. We saw the falsehoods that came out of his remarks last night … Americans need a leader they can trust,” Esper said. 

Read next: Trump is Running for President in 2024

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The former Army officer, like many others who watched Trump's Mar-a-Lago announcement, was critical of Trump's Tuesday speech. “I thought his remarks were very subdued and uninspiring,” Esper said.

The former Defense Secretary also blamed Trump for the Republican Party's failure to gain more seats in Congress and state legislatures during the midterm elections. “The election last week is an example that Donald Trump is incapable of winning elections,” Esper said. “He’s done more to help the Democrats than the Republicans.” 

Esper, who was fired after Trump's loss in the 2020 election, urged Republicans and Democrats alike to find new party standard-bearers. “I think that it’s time for the Republican Party, and frankly, both parties, to move on to the next generation of leaders, and particularly leaders that can unify our country and get us back to a more normal governance where we treat each other with dignity and respect, and we work on policy issues and not personal attacks,” Esper said

Read next: Trump midterm elections remarks: Who has ever done better than that?

He praised recent Trump foe, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as one of the "next generation" of presidential candidates. “He did a great job in Florida. He brought more Hispanics on board. He appears to me to be the frontrunner,” Esper said.

“But I think we need to have a primary to see who emerges and who can really, again, rally Republicans, grow the base, and really reach to Independents out there across the country.”

  • United States
  • Mark Esper
  • Washington
  • Defense Secretary
  • Donald Trump

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