In this July 8, 2019, photo, acting Secretary of Defense Mark Esper waits for the arrival of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to the Pentagon. (SUSAN WALSH / AP)

WASHINGTON - US Chief Pentagon Spokesman Jonathan Hoffman Thursday denied media reports that Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had prepared a letter of resignation.

"The NBC story is inaccurate and misleading in many ways. To be clear, Secretary of Defense Esper has no plans to resign, nor has he been asked to submit a letter of resignation," Hoffman tweeted.

The NBC story is inaccurate and misleading in many ways. To be clear, Secretary of Defense Esper has no plans to resign, nor has he been asked to submit a letter of resignation.

Jonathan Hoffman, US Chief Pentagon Spokesman

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Citing three defense officials, NBC reported earlier in the day that the Pentagon chief had "prepared his letter because he is one of the Cabinet officials long expected to be pushed out after the election."

Esper is helping lawmakers draft legislation to remove Confederate names from military bases, which could lead to a further rift between him and US President Donald Trump, accoridng to the report.

For months, US media has been reporting about Trump's frustration with Esper, who opposed using active-duty troops against civil unrest in June when Trump threatened to send military forces to crack down on nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice.

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At a press briefing in August, when asked if he would fire Esper, Trump said that he "considers firing everybody."

Esper took office as the 27th US defense secretary in July 2019. Esper's predecessor Jim Mattis left office in December 2018 after clashing with Trump over the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.