Politico | Official who once called Obama a ‘terrorist leader’ takes over Pentagon policy
- Retired general Anthony Tata in charge as James Anderson, acting undersecretary of defence for policy, resigns after clashing with White House
- His resignation comes one day after Pentagon chief Mark Esper was fired by President Donald Trump
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Lara Seligman and Daniel Lippman on politico.com on November 10, 2020.
Anthony Tata, a retired brigadier general whose nomination for a top Pentagon job collapsed this summer due to Islamophobic tweets and other controversial statements, began overseeing policy for the US Defence Department on Tuesday.
The move is part of a high-level civilian leadership shake-up that began on Monday when President Donald Trump fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper.
A defence official confirmed that Tata, who had been performing the duties as the No 2 for policy, is now running the organisation following the Tuesday resignation of acting policy chief James Anderson, first reported by POLITICO.
Anderson was confirmed in June as the No 2 policy official but had been acting in the top job. He had been expected to be asked by the White House to resign in the next few days.
“I am particularly grateful to have been entrusted with leading the dedicated men and women of Policy, who play a key role in our nation’s security,” Anderson wrote in his letter of resignation. “Now, as ever, our long-term success depends on adhering to the US Constitution all public servants swear to support and defend.”
Anderson stepped down after repeated disagreements with the White House personnel office, according to current defence officials and one former defence official, who predicted that Anderson will be the first of several departures in the wake of Esper’s firing.
A Pentagon spokesperson could not be reached for comment. A White House spokesperson said they do not comment on personnel.
On top of Anderson‘s departure, defence officials say Joseph Kernan, undersecretary of defence for intelligence, and Jen Stewart, Esper’s chief of staff, will also be leaving the Pentagon as soon as Tuesday. Neither could immediately be reached for comment.
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Tata‘s ascension to temporary head of policy is sure to revive deep concerns among members of Congress who opposed his nomination for the job this summer.
After the White House announced his nomination, Tata came under fire for tweets calling former president Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” and for referring to Islam as the “most oppressive violent religion I know of”, among other controversial statements.
Tata, who was a frequent Fox News guest, also derided House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) on Twitter, and shared an article that promoted a conspiracy theory that Obama was a “Manchurian candidate”. Tata later said he regretted the now-deleted tweets, which were unearthed by CNN.
The White House withdrew Tata’s nomination in July after the Senate abruptly cancelled his nomination hearing minutes before it was set to begin. A statement from Senate Armed Services Chair Jim Inhofe at the time said the committee did not have enough information to hold the hearing.
As one of the most senior officials in the Pentagon, the undersecretary of defence for policy is the principal adviser to the defence secretary on formulating national security and defence policy across a range of high-profile issues.
Anderson, during his time as policy chief, pushed back on several Trump loyalists the White House tried to install at the DoD, including Frank Wuco and Rich Higgins, said one of the people, who like others requested anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel issues.
The White House tried and failed to install Wuco, a controversial former talk radio host who once called Obama “a Kenyan”, as a deputy overseeing special operations, and Higgins, a former National Security Council staff member who pushed conspiracy theories on Twitter, as chief of staff for Tata.
Anderson has been acting as the Pentagon‘s policy chief since February, when the White House pushed out John Rood, the last person to be confirmed in the job, over perceived insufficient loyalty to the president.
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Anderson was confirmed by the Senate on June 3 in the position of deputy undersecretary of defence for policy, which had been vacant since July 2019. However, he has continued acting in the No 1 role since the Senate cancelled a confirmation hearing for the White House‘s top choice, Tata, after CNN unearthed his Islamophobic tweets.
Before moving to the policy shop, Anderson served as assistant secretary of defence for strategy, plans and capabilities in the Trump administration.
A former intelligence officer in the Marine Corps, Anderson has served in various roles in academia and the think tank world, including stints at Marine Corps University and the Heritage Foundation. He also worked as an associate at DFI International, a private consulting firm.
He previously served in the Pentagon in the George W. Bush administration as director of Middle East policy, among other positions.
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