Former Trump Defense chief joins CNN as analyst, commentator

Mark Esper, former President Trump’s one-time top Defense official, is joining CNN as a contributor.

Esper, who served as Defense secretary from July 2019 to November 2020, has been hired as a full-time contributor, the network announced Wednesday. He will serve as a “global affairs analyst and political commentator.”

After leaving government, Esper became a partner and board member at the venture capital firm Red Cell Partners and currently serves on several private capital and public policy boards and works as a corporate consultant.

During a recent guest appearance on CNN, Esper said he agrees with concerns about Trump retaliating against government officials who have criticized or crossed him.

“The president has also said that a second term would be about retribution, right? So, I think these are all legitimate concerns,” he said.