A Friday report from CNN cites two anonymous sources who claim Donald Trump was “fuming” after Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s de facto ban on the Confederate flag in military installations.
According to the sources, who are allegedly familiar with the the real estate mogul’s reaction, Trump was especially angered over Esper’s careful wording of the military-wide directive, which did not mention the symbol explicitly.
The decision came as Trump continued to support the right of Americans to show support for the banner. As The Inquisitr reported, Trump claimed that the controversy surrounding NASCAR’s ban of the flag was an issue of free speech — not a battle over the symbol itself.
A senior White House official told the publication that the reports of Trump’s anger were not true.
“Your story is inaccurate,” they said. “When the matter was raised to the President, he was not angry.”
CNN previously obtained a copy of Esper’s memo and his comments on its implications.
“I am committed to fielding the most powerful military force the world has known by strengthening the bonds of our most valuable resource — our people,” Esper wrote in the document.
“That is why we honor the American flag, which is the principal flag we are authorized and encouraged to display. The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols.”
Per the rules outlined in the memo, Confederate flags are no longer allowed in the Department of Defense workplaces, public areas, and common access areas. However, they can still be displayed in areas where the display “cannot reasonably be viewed as endorsement of the pennant, ” including in memorial markers, educational displays, and museum exhibits.
As CNN noted, Esper also clashed with Trump when he approved a promotion for Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. Vindman notably testified before Congress as part of the impeachment inquiry into the president, which prompted the White House to attempt to remove his name from the promotion list.
Two people who spoke with Trump in the days following Esper’s memo said that the Defense Secretary’s job is safe for the time being.
Despite Trump’s support of the Confederate flag, some Republicans and allies have broke with him on the issue. Notably, writer Mara Liasson highlighted that NFL and NASCAR, which previously allied with the president, appear to be shifting their positions on the matter, placing them in opposition to the president.
