Petty Biden Tells Ex-Trump Officials To Resign From Boards

The Biden administration recently told 11 ex-Trump officials appointed to military service academy advisory boards to resign. Otherwise, the administration will dismiss them, a source shared with CNN’s K-File. 

RELATED: Trump-Appointed US Attorneys Asked To Quit

Ex-Trump Officials Can Resign or Get Fired

The officials appointed by former President Donald Trump include former key White House officials. They include former press secretary Sean Spicer, former senior counselor to President Kellyanne Conway, and former national security adviser HR McMaster. Trump appointed them to advisory boards of the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and West Point respectively.

Other prominent names include ​​Heidi Stirrup, the former White House liaison to the Justice Department. Stirrup made the news this year when officials banned her from entering the DOJ building.

She previously attempted to access sensitive information about possible election fraud in December 2020. The list also includes retired Col. Douglas Macgregor, a former ambassador pick and Pentagon official.

Macgregor had a history of controversial comments. Trump appointed both to the boards of the Air Force Academy and West Point. 

Other Appointees Also Asked To Resign

Other ex-Trump officials asked to quit also included Michael Wynne, appointed to the board of the Air Force Academy. Also, the list includes retired Gen. John Keane, Meaghan Mobbs, and David Urban; all appointed to the West Point board.

In addition, John Coale and Russell Vought, Trump's former Management and Budget director, got appointments to the Naval Academy's board.

The dismissal of ex-Trump officials from military advisory boards as a result of a Pentagon reboot. In February, officials removed hundreds of appointees from other boards. Earlier in November before he left, Trump dismissed several long-standing members of the Defense Policy Board ahead of their terms’ expiry.

Psaki Confirms They Asked Ex-Trump Officials To Resign

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the administration did request the ex-Trump officials to resign voluntarily.

“The President's objective is what any president's objective is — to ensure you have nominees and people serving on these boards who are qualified to serve on them and who are aligned with your values. And so yes, that was an ask that was made,” Psaki told reporters. 

“I will let others evaluate whether they think Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer and others were qualified, or not political, to serve on these boards, but the President's qualification requirements are not your party registration, they are whether you're qualified to serve and whether you're aligned with the values of this administration,” she added. 

Vought, Conway, and Other ex-Trump Officials Will Not Resign

Board members typically serve three-year terms. Vought already said he will not resign. He tweeted a picture of a letter asking him to quit.

He added a message: “No. It's a three-year term”.  Other officials remain on the fence as well. Spicer said he will respond to the White House’s request on his show. Meanwhile, Wynne said that “it was an honor to be on the board,” and professed his disappointment.

Conway posted a statement on Twitter addressed to Biden, calling the news “petty and political” and saying she would not resign. “Your decision is disappointing but understandable given the need to distract from a news cycle that has you mired in multiple self-inflicted crises and plummeting poll numbers,” Conway wrote.

“Very disappointed to see the Biden administration not honor a previous president's appointment to the board of visitors, which has been the tradition for years,” Keane remarked. Also, Mobbs said she would not be resigning.

“Frankly, I find this whole act unconscionable and not all in the spirit by which this Administration promised to govern. President Biden ran on a supposed platform of unity but his actions speak directly to the contrary. Apparently, unity is only for those who conform,” Mobbs said.

“When I joined the Board under the Trump Administration, there were holdovers from the Obama Administration. They were not terminated but instead served alongside Trump appointees. This mix of perspective, experience, and belief systems ensured there was diversity – a value the Democratic party purports to hold above all else.”

Watch the CNN video reporting that Kellyanne Conway fires back after Biden administration asks her to resign:

Do you think that ex-Trump officials should resign as requested by Biden administration officials? Was the Biden White House correct in asking them to do so?

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