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A Sacred Oath

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A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times is a book by Mark Esper, 27th United States Secretary of Defense which was published on May 10, 2022 by HarperCollins.[1]

In the book, Esper wrote that President Donald Trump wanted to launch a missile into Mexico.[2][3][4]

He made many other claims about Trump.[5] Among these claims, Esper asserts that, during a meeting in June 2020, Trump asked whether U.S. troops could shoot Black Lives Matter protesters;[6] that Trump once called Esper, Vice President Mike Pence and General Mark Milley "fucking losers" after Milley told him that he had no command authority over the active duty and National Guard troops Trump wanted to deploy against protesters;[7] and that an officer, whom Esper does not name, explored the possibility of invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to remove Trump from office after a May 2020 meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[8]

Critical receptions and reviews

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Lloyd Green of The Guardian wrote "The ex-defense secretary’s memoir is scary and sobering – but don’t expect Republican leaders or voters to heed his warning"[9] and John Bolton of The Wall Street Journal wrote "I still believe this. 'A Sacred Oath' is not a gratuitous tell-all. It is a work of history.".[10]

The book has been also reviewed by Laura Miller of Slate[11] and Thomas F. Lynch III of National Defense University.[12]

The book was listed in The New York Times Best Seller list.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Esper, Mark T. (2022). A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times. New York City: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-314434-7.
  2. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (May 12, 2022). "Trump's Former Aides and Advisers on the Peril He Poses". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  3. ^ Smith, Zachary Snowdon (May 6, 2022). "Trump Wanted To Secretly Launch Missiles Into Mexico To Blow Up Drug Labs, Ex-Defense Secretary Reportedly Claims". Forbes. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  4. ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 6, 2022). "New York Times: Esper in new book says Trump floated launching missiles at Mexico to 'destroy the drug labs'". CNN Politics. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  5. ^ "7 stunning claims Mark Esper makes about Trump White House in new book". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  6. ^ Carolan, Kelsey (May 2, 2022). "Esper: Trump asked about shooting protesters 'in the legs or something' after George Floyd death". The Hill. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Pengelly, Martin (May 5, 2022). "Esper book details Trump rage at Pence and proposal to hit Mexico with missiles". The Guardian. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  8. ^ Chamlee, Virginia (May 6, 2022). "Trump's Defense Secretary Claims He Asked About Shooting Protesters, Firing Missiles on Mexico". People. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  9. ^ Green, Lloyd (May 10, 2022). "A Sacred Oath review: Mark Esper on Trump, missiles for Mexico and more". The Guardian. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Bolton, John (May 10, 2022). "'A Sacred Oath' Review: Keeping the Peace". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Miller, Laura (May 17, 2022). "The Late Decadent Phase of the Trump Memoir". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  12. ^ "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times" (PDF). National Defense University Press.
  13. ^ "Best Sellers - Books - May 29, 2022 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-02.