Joe Biden is ordering the removal of several Trump loyalists appointed by the former president to the boards of prominent US military schools. The list of those being asked to resign includes some high-profile supporters of President Trump, including Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer.
Spicer says he plans on suing Biden over his forced removal.
“I will not be submitting my resignation, and I will be joining a lawsuit to fight this,” Spicer said on Newsmax, the conservative cable network where he is an anchor.
He shared a letter from the White House Office of Presidential Personnel asking him to resign from the board of visitors at the United States Naval Academy, an oversight position. The letter went on to say that If he did not quit, he would be fired.
The Biden administration on Wednesday sent letters to 11 Trump-era appointees to military-academy advisory boards requesting their resignations. They included Spicer, the former national security advisor H. R. McMaster, and Kellyanne Conway, a former senior advisor to Trump. The appointees held positions at schools, including the US Military Academy and the Naval Academy.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, confirmed that the administration was seeking to remove these people from their respective positions. Psaki took a dig at Spicer and Conway in the process.
“The president’s objective is what any president’s objective is, was to ensure you have nominees and people serving on these boards who are qualified to serve on them and who are aligned with your values. And so yes, that was an ask that was made,” Psaki said.
She added, “I will let others evaluate whether they think Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer and others were qualified or not political to serve on these boards.”
Spicer hit back at Psaki on Newsmax, citing his service in the Navy Reserve, where he is a commander.
“For 22 years, I’ve had the honor of serving alongside some of the most talented, patriotic, and brave individuals this country has to offer,” he said, adding, “I’ve done multiple tours, and politics has never entered into my service.”
He did not specify the nature of the lawsuit he planned to bring or explain how Biden’s decision could be deemed unlawful.
Conway, who sits on the board of visitors at the Air Force Academy, said that she would refuse to resign and that the request “seems petty and political, if not personal.”
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