The Pentagon's number three official resigned on Wednesday at the request of Pres. Trump—but it was unclear why.
In his resignation letter addressed to the president and dated Feb. 19, Rood wrote,"It’s my understanding from Secretary Esper that you requested my resignation from serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Senior administration officials appointed by the President serve at the pleasure of the President, and therefore, as you have requested, I am providing my resignation effective February 28, 2020,” his letter said.
The next month, that aid was withheld by the White House in violation of the law, according to the Government Accountability Office, with Trump administration officials testifying during the impeachment hearings that it was part of a quid pro quo at Trump's request where aid would only be released if the Ukrainian government agreed to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Defense Undersecretary for Policy, John Rood appears before the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Jan. 29, 2019, in Washington.Asked by ABC News if there was a link between Rood's resignation and his role in certifying the aid to Ukraine, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said during a news conference on Wednesday that sounded"speculative.
However, Rood's divisive leadership style has been reported as a source of frustration within the department. In December,that many current and former defense officials blamed Rood for creating a toxic work environment and identified him as a reason the Pentagon saw an exodus of top officials and was struggling to fill posts.
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