Trump press secretary asked to step down from Naval Academy post; others refuse Biden order

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, as well as the budget chief under President Donald Trump have both been told to step down from their posts on the Naval Academy Board of Directors.

The former Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought has refused to resign. Posting a copy of the letter telling him to resign or face termination on Twitter, Vought wrote, "No. It’s a three-year term."

The pair are among 18 appointees named to U.S. military academy boards by former President Donald Trump during his final moments in the White House.

Other high profile appointees include White House counselor Kellyanne Conway (Air Force Academy) and national security adviser H.R. McMaster (Military Academy).
Like Vought, Conway also pushed back against President Joe Biden’s order.

Conway jabbed at Biden, saying, "I’m not resigning but you should." She went on in a statement to call it a "disappointing but understandable" effort to distract from the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a rise in COVID-19 cases and a disappointing August jobs report.

Jonathan Hiler, a Navy academy alumnus who served as director of legislative affairs for Vice President Mike Pence, said he was "not resigning."

"As an alum and former naval officer, I believe developing leaders capable of defending our country’s interests at sea — USNA’s mission — is not something that should be consumed by partisan politics. Apparently, President Biden feels differently. @WhiteHouse," Hiler posted on Twitter.

Spicer, who works for the conservative news channel Newsmax, in his own social media posting criticized Biden for trying to terminate Trump appointees instead of "focusing on the stranded Americans left in #Afghanistan."

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Later on Newsmax, Spicer accused Psaki of minimizing his military service and that of other veterans appointed by Trump to the boards. He said he intended to take legal action against the decision.

The Associated Press contributed to this report