Mark Esper

But I think if you did, I think it would be tremendous in terms of building social cohesion, trying to install a core set of principles of people, understanding teamwork and what it takes.

But again, for me, it's at the social level.

You would get back to where you had

People mixing with ethnicities and genders and religions and communities that they otherwise might not see in their entire lives.

I mean, for me, that was very important to me to get to know, you know, people from all different races and walks of life, rich, poor, black, white, you name it.

And to me, the military is a great melting pot.

So at that level, I think it'd be great.

Shared hardship tends to bind people in strange and important ways.

You know, I talk about it in my memoir, but it's, look, it's overwhelming, particularly for somebody who kind of grew up in humble beginnings and went to West Point.

And to me, it was always, I was always about public service, serving my country, the military, national security.

So to kind of get that call from the president and says, I want you to be my secretary of defense.

Yeah, it's, you know, very awe-inspiring and it kind of takes you back.

And it's one of those moments you don't forget.

Well, you know, there were there were kind of rumors percolating around times, but I was at actually a conference and I got the note that the president wants to talk to me.

And which was not that unusual.

But I got ushered away into a private room and there was some suspicion that this was happening.

And then I was in a room by myself just kind of pacing around what he said to me.

And immediately at that moment in time.

You're now the nominee.

And my security detail took me out, pulled me out of the conference, took me out.