Just days before being canned by President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper denied serving as the president's yes-man in the Pentagon.<br />According to Business Insider, Esper told the Military Times he challenges the president more than any other Cabinet-level leader.<br />President Donald Trump fired Esper Monday, providing no reason. However, the president has previously purged officials for a perceived lack of loyalty.<br />Esper and the Commander in Chief have locked horns on numerous issues, most notably over Esper's order to cease flying the Confederate flag on US military bases.<br />Also, Esper also tried to distance himself from a politically-charged photo op, in which Trump awkwardly clutched a Bible in front of a church near the White House.<br />Federal troops pepper-sprayed peaceful protesters in Lafayette Park, so the way would be cleared for Trump, Esper, and other officials to walk to the church.
