Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Pentagon’s top uniformed officer, on Thursday said he should not have participated in President Trump’s walk across Lafayette Park to visit the fire-damaged St. John’s Episcopal Church last week amid anti-racism protests.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was photographed in his combat uniform along with Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, minutes after police forcefully removed peaceful protesters outside of the White House by means of smoke canisters and pepper balls.
“I should not have been there,” Gen. Milley said in prerecorded remarks to the graduating class of the National Defense University.
“My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics,” he continued. “As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”
The four-star general said the comments of military leaders are closely watched, and he is “not immune” to such scrutiny.
“[The photo] sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society,” Gen. Milley said, expressing regret of his participation in the moment.
Gen. Milley’s striking apology underscores the delicate balance he must strike as a leader of a diverse military force with top leaders who are taking increasingly public stands against systemic racism and injustice after the death last week of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis police custody.
Once Mr. Trump arrived at the church, which was boarded up, he held up a Bible briefly before returning to the White House.
“We must hold dear the principle of an apolitical military that is so deeply rooted in the very essence of our republic,” he continued. “It takes time and work and effort, but it may be the most important thing each and every one of us does every single day.”
Gen. Milley said that he was angry about “the senseless and brutal killing of George Floyd,” and made note of the history of the first enslaved Africans that arrived on the shores of colonial Virginia in 1619.
“What we are seeing is the long shadow of our original sin in Jamestown 401 years ago,” he said.
Days after the photo-op that caught global attention, Mr. Esper made a startling break with the president and said he opposes the use of active-duty troops to help quell protests.
Gen. Milley’s comments are likely to draw attention from the president, who remained noncommittal to Mr. Esper’s future following his public opposition to deploy federal forces.
• This story is based in part on wire reports.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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