Kathryn Wheelbarger

Kathryn Wheelbarger, one of the Pentagon’s most prominent and respected policy officials, is resigning after three years in the job.

She is quitting at a time when critics have accused President Donald Trump of prioritising perceived “loyalists” for top national security posts, Reuters reported.

Wheelbarger, who is highly regarded by national security experts in Trump’s Republican Party and among Democrats, did not explain the reasoning for her departure in her resignation letter.

She had been named by the White House on Feb. 13 to a senior intelligence position.

But in a surprise move last week, the White House instead …