Former President Donald Trump had some harsh words for his secretary of defense after Mark Esper appeared on 60 Minutes.

Esper, whose memoir, A Sacred Oath, comes out on Tuesday, has revealed several unflattering moments he witnessed while working for Trump, including the former president allegedly musing about shooting protesters rallying outside the White House in 2020. Trump hasn’t taken kindly to his former deputy’s jabs.

“This is a complete lie, and 10 witnesses can back it up,” Trump said in a statement to 60 Minutes when asked about the claim he suggested shooting protesters. “Mark Esper was weak and totally ineffective, and because of it, I had to run the military.”

“Mark Esper was a stiff who was desperate not to lose his job,” Trump continued. “He would do anything I wanted, that’s why I called him ‘Yesper.’”

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During the 60 Minutes interview, Esper continued to unleash criticism of the former president, including an accusation that Trump suggested the military should “shoot missiles into Mexico.”

Esper said Trump’s missile plan was a way of fighting the cartels.

“He would say to go after the cartels,” Esper said. “And we would have this private discussion where I’d say, ‘Mr. President, I, you know, I understand the motive.’ Because he was very serious about dealing with drugs in America.”

Trump responded to several questions from 60 Minutes about Esper’s interview, including saying that he didn’t want to send 10,000 active-duty troops into Washington, D.C., after St. John’s Church was set on fire but instead wanted those troops on Jan. 6.

“I knew many people were coming to Washington that day to protest the corrupt Presidential Election of 2020,” Trump said. “Nancy Pelosi and the D.C. Mayor turned me down.”

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However, when asked about his suggestion to launch missiles into Mexico, the former president had little to say.

“No comment,” Trump said.