In late January 2020, as the coronavirus spread, Esper said he was "not tracking" its spread, as the Trump administration downplayed the risks of the disease.

As the coronavirus outbreak turned into a pandemic in early March 2020, Esper directed overseas commanders of U.S. forces to check with him before taking actions to protect U.S. troops, lest they contradict the Trump administration's messaging on the coronavirus.
A Defense Department official said Esper's intent was to ensure that the government was "communicating to the public with one voice on a rapidly developing situation" and Esper assured the public that "My No.
1 priority remains to protect our forces and their families.”
The following week, Esper directed the deployment of two Navy hospital ships, the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy, to take pressure off New York and Los Angeles hospitals as they coped with the pandemic.
Esper also authorized the Defense Department to provide civilian health authorities with five million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators.

In early April, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly removed Navy Captain Brett Crozier from command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after Crozier pleaded with Navy leaders to move more quickly to in the face of a coronavirus outbreak on the ship.
Esper defended Modly's decision, though he conceded that he had not read Crozier's letter calling for help.
Within days, widespread condemnation led Modly to resign.
Esper named James McPherson, Under Secretary of the Army, to replace him.

On April 14, 2020, Esper announced the extension of a travel freeze on military members and Department of Defense civilian employees.
The original order to stop movement was to last for 60 days, but Esper said that additional time was needed to stop the spread of the virus.
Several days following the announcement, Esper extended the freeze through June 30, 2020.

Lawmakers, retired officers and experts criticized Esper's response to the coronavirus, describing it as slow and indecisive.
According to Politico, there was discontent within the Department of Defense about Esper's leadership on the issue.
Esper primarily left it up to local commanders in terms of how they would respond to the pandemic, which resulted in uneven responses.
Several military officials said there was a lack of top-down planning and guidance on important decisions.
In a letter in late April 2020, ten Democratic senators called Esper's leadership "disjointed and slow", saying that DOD's civilian leadership had "failed to act sufficiently, quickly, and has often prioritized [combat] readiness at the expense of the health of service members and their families."
A Pentagon spokesman defended DoD's handling of the pandemic.

In May 2020, at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe, Esper interacted without a face mask with seven World War II veterans who were between the ages of 96 and 100.
The elderly are at an elevated risk of illness and death from the coronavirus; health experts and authorities advise that the spread can be halted with face masks and social distancing measures.
In response to critics, Jonathan Hoffman, a Pentagon spokesman, said Esper was tested before the event; a White House official said the veterans were also tested before the event.

That same month, Esper declared that a widely available vaccine would be available by the end of 2020.
However, a leaked Pentagon memo said there was a "real possibility" that a vaccine would not be available until "at least the summer of 2021."
In late January 2020, as the coronavirus spread, Esper said he was "not tracking" its spread, as the Trump administration downplayed the risks of the disease.
As the coronavirus outbreak turned into a pandemic in early March 2020, Esper directed overseas commanders of U.S. forces to check with him before taking actions to protect U.S. troops, lest they contradict the Trump administration's messaging on the coronavirus. A Defense Department official said Esper's intent was to ensure that the government was "communicating to the public with one voice on a rapidly developing situation" and Esper assured the public that "My No. 1 priority remains to protect our forces and their families.” The following week, Esper directed the deployment of two Navy hospital ships, the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy, to take pressure off New York and Los Angeles hospitals as they coped with the pandemic. Esper also authorized the Defense Department to provide civilian health authorities with five million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators.
In early April, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly removed Navy Captain Brett Crozier from command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after Crozier pleaded with Navy leaders to move more quickly to in the face of a coronavirus outbreak on the ship. Esper defended Modly's decision, though he conceded that he had not read Crozier's letter calling for help. Within days, widespread condemnation led Modly to resign. Esper named James McPherson, Under Secretary of the Army, to replace him.
On April 14, 2020, Esper announced the extension of a travel freeze on military members and Department of Defense civilian employees. The original order to stop movement was to last for 60 days, but Esper said that additional time was needed to stop the spread of the virus. Several days following the announcement, Esper extended the freeze through June 30, 2020.
Lawmakers, retired officers and experts criticized Esper's response to the coronavirus, describing it as slow and indecisive. According to Politico, there was discontent within the Department of Defense about Esper's leadership on the issue. Esper primarily left it up to local commanders in terms of how they would respond to the pandemic, which resulted in uneven responses. Several military officials said there was a lack of top-down planning and guidance on important decisions. In a letter in late April 2020, ten Democratic senators called Esper's leadership "disjointed and slow", saying that DOD's civilian leadership had "failed to act sufficiently, quickly, and has often prioritized [combat] readiness at the expense of the health of service members and their families." A Pentagon spokesman defended DoD's handling of the pandemic.
In May 2020, at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe, Esper interacted without a face mask with seven World War II veterans who were between the ages of 96 and 100. The elderly are at an elevated risk of illness and death from the coronavirus; health experts and authorities advise that the spread can be halted with face masks and social distancing measures. In response to critics, Jonathan Hoffman, a Pentagon spokesman, said Esper was tested before the event; a White House official said the veterans were also tested before the event.
That same month, Esper declared that a widely available vaccine would be available by the end of 2020. However, a leaked Pentagon memo said there was a "real possibility" that a vaccine would not be available until "at least the summer of 2021."
Mark Esper