Trump's Pentagon Officials Are Resigning: Here's Why

Two top Department of Defense (DoD) officials, responsible for developing advanced weaponry and the United States ballistic missile defense systems, have resigned together to work for the private sector.

Leaving the Pentagon July 10 are Michael D. Griffin, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, (USD(R&E)), and Dr. Lisa J. Porter, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (DUSD(R&E)). Griffin and Porter are the two top Pentagon leaders responsible for the DoD's technology strategy.

They oversee the activities of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), the DoD Laboratory and Engineering Center enterprise, and the Under Secretariat staff developing advanced technology and capability for the U.S. Armed Forces.

Formerly the NASA Administrator (2005 to 2009), Griffin was appointed USD(R&E) in 2018. His term at the Pentagon will be remembered for establishing technology modernization priorities for the DoD.

In a joint letter to their staff, Griffin and Porter said “a private-sector opportunity has presented itself to us, offering an opportunity we have decided to pursue together."

“It has been a pleasure leading this great team over the past few years. We greatly appreciate your hard work, diligence, integrity, and devotion to technical excellence and technical truth in furtherance of the R&E mission,” they wrote. “We wish you all the very best.”

The resignation of Griffin and Porter, purely for career advancement, is nonetheless fueling speculation their abrupt departures might have another motive. Their resignation is the third and fourth by top Pentagon officials in the past week alone. The other two resignations were triggered by conflicts with the Trump administration.

Kathryn Wheelbarger, the acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, submitted her resignation June 17. Her resignation came five days after Trump bypassed her nomination to appoint one of his special assistants, Bradley Hansell, to the position. Her resignation takes effect July 4.

Elaine McCusker, the Pentagon's acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), who questioned the Trump administration for withholding military aid to Ukraine in 2019, submitted her resignation June 16 after Trump refused to nominate her for the official comptroller role.