White House ‘requesting names of those who clapped out departing Pentagon official’

The White House has reportedly demanded a list of names of people who clapped as a departing Pentagon official left the building, having resigned after his boss was fired by Donald Trump.

James Anderson, the acting under secretary of defense for policy, was a key advisor to Mark Esper, the defense secretary who Mr Trump announced via tweet on Monday had been “terminated”.

Mr Anderson, a former marine who taught at the Marine Corps War College before joining the Department of Defense, resigned on Tuesday.

Bill Kristol, a “Never Trump” Republican and former newspaper editor, who now runs advocacy organisation Defending Democracy Together, said there was an atmosphere of “loyalty-oath” inside the Pentagon.