WASHINGTON (Reuters] – On Tuesday, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper declared that he will not vote for Donald Trump if he is elected again as Republican president. Esper said Trump is a fraud and would put his own interests above those of the United States.

When Esper was asked if he would vote to elect Trump for president in 2024, Esper replied, “No”, making him the first Trump cabinet member to publicly reject his former boss’s bid for another White House campaign.

An elected official must meet a few basic requirements: He or she should be able put the country above their own interests. A certain amount of integrity and principle are essential. They should be able and willing to work across party lines and to unite America. He said that Donald Trump does not meet these requirements.

He instead encouraged his former defense chief to urge his party to focus on four core issues, a strong army, lower taxes and conservative judges, before November’s midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race.

Trump has yet to declare his candidacy for the presidency, having lost his reelection campaign to Democrat Joe Biden 2020. However, he has repeated his belief that his supporters will be “happy”

Trump will face multiple investigations regarding his business dealings and handling of classified information. He also faces questions about his participation in the supporters’ attack against the U.S. Capitol in order to prevent Biden’s victory.

Trump’s former attorney general Bill Barr and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, both Republicans who have been criticized by Trump, have stated that they support the party’s choice for President in 2024 even though it is Trump.

Barr, Esper and Barr are selling books that detail their time under Trump’s administration. Esper called Trump a threat in recent media interviews. Trump dismissed Esper’s response as “weak, totally ineffective”.