Defense Department

Secretary Esper has kept a letter of resignation on hand since the summer, when he and the president disagreed over the use of active duty troops to put down street protests.

The Pentagon said the paper would shut down by Sept. 30. Shortly afterward President Trump tweeted that it won't happen "under my watch."

Defense Secretary Mark Esper doesn't actually ban the Confederate flag's display. He simply lists the flags that can be shown by the military, and the controversial banner is not on his list.

An effort to remove Confederate names from military bases has broad bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress. President Trump is vowing to veto the defense bill if the provision stays in.

Lawmakers in both parties demand to learn more from the Trump administration after press reports suggested that Russian operatives have paid Afghan insurgents to target U.S. forces.

Jim Mattis, who resigned as Trump's defense secretary nearly a year and a half ago, accuses the president of dividing the nation and warns against "militarizing our response" to protests.

In a public break with President Trump, Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he does not support invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act and deploying troops to American streets.

The interim guidance — which recommends disqualifying applicants who have been hospitalized with the disease — is still under review, according to Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

President Trump removed the head of a group charged with overseeing the coronavirus package passed by Congress. Trump has bristled at the oversight actions of several inspectors general.

The president said the border would close by "mutual consent," the latest development in the coronavirus pandemic.