President Joe Biden broke with a long-standing tradition this week when he fired 18 of former President Donald Trump’s appointees from the advisory boards at military academies.
He even fired former Press Secretary Sean Spicer and former Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway… but they’re not backing down.
On Wednesday the White House asked the 18 people to resign by 6 p.m. By Thursday, the Biden administration had fired the remaining appointees, The Associated Press reported.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tried to defend Biden’s rollback. “The president’s objective is what any president’s objective is – 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,” she said on Wednesday afternoon. “And so yes, that was an ask that was made.”
She denied that Biden’s decision was partisan. “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, but the President’s qualification requirements are not your party registration,” she continued. “They are whether you’re qualified to serve and whether you’re aligned with the values of this administration.”
The Trump appointees didn’t even have especially political positions. The advisory boards exist only to “inquire into morale and discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters,” according to the Naval Academy in Annapolis and the West Point Military Academy.
Each board contains both presidential appointees and members of Congress. Obama’s appointees kept their jobs during the Trump administration.
Conway was serving on the board of the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Spicer, a Commander in the Naval Reserve himself, was working for the Naval Academy.
Spicer, known for his combative relationship with the press, fired back at Biden’s White House. “Don’t you dare ever minimize or question my service to this nation, you got it?” Spicer said on Newsmax. “We take an oath to the constitution, not to a party. This move has taken partisanship to a new level.”
Spicer added, “I will be joining a lawsuit to fight this.”
Conway made an especially brutal comeback: “I’m not resigning, but you should.” She also accused Biden of trying to distract the public from other issues, like the pandemic, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and last month’s abysmal jobs report.
President Biden, I'm not resigning, but you should. pic.twitter.com/HuRYM4bLYP
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 8, 2021
At the @WhiteHouse press briefing today @PressSec @jrpsaki questioned my qualifications to serve on the Board of Visitors to the US Naval Academy. I responded tonight @newsmax Watch below https://t.co/cz7Ap96Ijc
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 8, 2021
Conway and Spicer were joined by a chorus of other Trump appointees.
Budget Office Director Vought tweeted a picture of Biden’s request for him to resign. He added the caption, “No. It’s a three-year term.”
Former Gen. Jack Keane was dismissed from the board at West Point. Keane found himself “very disappointed” with Biden’s decision, he told The Guardian.
Policy advocate Meaghan Mobbs called Biden’s move “unconscionable.” Political strategist David Urban agreed, he told CNN. Both Mobbs and Urban were fired from their positions at West Point, even though they had each graduated from there.
As of Thursday, it remains unclear whether any of the 18 people resigned voluntarily.
No. It’s a three year term. @WhiteHouse pic.twitter.com/c9pZOENNPR
— Russ Vought (@russvought) September 8, 2021
Today, all previously appointed Presidential appointees to the West Point Board of Visitors were asked to resign or be terminated by end of day. My response to that request is below: pic.twitter.com/k7u3cRkwyO
— Meaghan Mobbs (@mobbs_mentality) September 8, 2021
The Horn editorial team