Biden ousts 18 Trump military academy board appointees, including Kellyanne Conway at the Air Force Academy

WASHINGTON — The Biden medication connected Wednesday removed 18 appointees named to U.S. subject academy boards by Donald Trump successful the last months of the Republican president’s word successful office, according to the White House.

Cathy Russell, manager of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, sent letters to 18 radical named to the boards of visitors for the Air Force Academy, Military Academy and Naval Academy calling connected them to resign by adjacent of concern connected Wednesday oregon look termination.

Among those Biden ousted are immoderate high-profile Trump medication officials, including White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway (Air Force Academy), property caput Sean Spicer (Naval Academy), nationalist information advisor H.R. McMaster (Military Academy) and Office of Management and Budget manager Russell Vought (Naval Academy).

White House property caput Jen Psaki confirmed that the erstwhile Trump officials were asked to resign oregon look firing. It was not instantly wide if immoderate of those asked to tender their resignations did truthful earlier a 6 p.m. deadline acceptable by the White House.

“I volition fto others measure whether they deliberation Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer and others were qualified, oregon not political, to service connected these boards,” Psaki said. “But the president’s qualification requirements are not your enactment registration. They are whether you’re qualified to service and whether you are aligned with the values of this administration.”

Several of those called connected to resign pushed back. Conway jabbed astatine Biden and said, “I’m not resigning but you should.” She went connected successful a connection to telephone it a “disappointing but understandable” effort to distract from the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a emergence successful COVID-19 cases and a disappointing August jobs report.

Vought connected Twitter posted the missive helium received from Russell and responded: “No. It’s a 3 twelvemonth term.”

Jonathan Hiler, a Navy academy alumnus who served arsenic manager of legislative affairs for Vice President Mike Pence, said helium was “not resigning.”

“As an alum and erstwhile naval officer, I judge processing leaders susceptible of defending our country’s interests astatine oversea — USNA’s ngo — is not thing that should beryllium consumed by partisan politics. Apparently, President Biden feels differently. @WhiteHouse,” Hiler posted connected Twitter.

Spicer, who works for the blimpish quality transmission Newsmax, successful his ain societal media posting criticized Biden for trying to terminate Trump appointees alternatively of “focusing connected the stranded Americans near successful #Afghanistan.”

Later connected Newsmax, Spicer accused Psaki of minimizing his subject work and that of different veterans appointed by Trump to the boards. He said helium intended to instrumentality ineligible enactment against the decision.