George Floyd peaceful protest haunts Mark Esper
With the exception of Jan. 6, 2021, itself, maybe the most traumatic day of the Trump presidency was June 1, 2020 无毛视频� the day peaceful American citizens protesting the police murder of George Floyd were forcibly removed from Lafayette Square, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.
Arriving on scene moments after the protesters were scattered, the president of the United States paused briefly outside Lafayette Square无毛视频檚 St. John无毛视频檚 Episcopal Church for a photograph of himself holding a Bible.
In his recent book, 无毛视频淎 Sacred Oath,无毛视频� former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper of Uniontown writes about that day and the unfortunate role he played in aiding and abetting Trump无毛视频檚 alarming conduct.
This includes his decision to accompany Trump from the White House to the church, where the defense chief was part of Trump无毛视频檚 infamous 无毛视频減hoto opportunity.无毛视频�
It could have been different. Esper had choices, which he was aware of in the moment.
Some background: The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin shocked the nation. Floyd无毛视频檚 senseless death touched off protests across the country, some of which turned violent.
Eyeing the protests on television, President Trump became incensed. He raised the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which would have allowed him to deploy regular U.S. Army troops to American cities.
He alluded to the Insurrection Act during a phone call with the nation无毛视频檚 governors. Use National Guard troops to 无毛视频渄ominate the streets,无毛视频� he said. If the state chief executives failed to act, the president vowed he would 无毛视频渜uickly solve the problem无毛视频� by deploying the military.
According to Esper, regular Army troops were not needed. Moreover, involving the U.S. military in domestic political affairs was flat-out wrong. It was contrary to the entirety of the American political tradition, to history.
Trump maintained a steady drumbeat in private about the use of front line military personnel.
To 无毛视频渕ollify无毛视频� the president, Esper writes in 无毛视频淎 Sacred Oath,无毛视频� 无毛视频淚 committed to get some active-duty troops from Ft. Bragg moving toward D.C.无毛视频� 无毛视频� the operative phrase here being 无毛视频渕oving toward.无毛视频� Additionally, Esper alerted the Old Guard, the ceremonial troops at Arlington National Cemetery, to stand by.
In addition, Esper told Trump, 无毛视频淚 will get the Guard moving. We will deploy additional Guard units.无毛视频�
无毛视频淣one of this was actually giving Trump what he really wanted,无毛视频� Esper writes, 无毛视频渂ut it sounded like we were bending his way. 无毛视频�
The secretary of defense raised eyebrows on his own when the press reported that he had used the military term 无毛视频渂attle space无毛视频� in his discussion with governors about potential National Guard deployments.
He apologized. He writes, 无毛视频淚 lost my situation awareness because I thought there was a fair chance that Trump was going to order the 82nd Airborne Division into the streets, and maybe even direct them to shoot the protesters.无毛视频�
The short stroll from the White House to St. John无毛视频檚 Church in the early evening hours of June 1 was a fiasco, from start to finish.
In addition to Esper, the presidential entourage included Gen. Mark A. Milley of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the president无毛视频檚 daughter, Ivanka Trump, and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Esper reports that as the group led by the president left the White House grounds, he turned to Milley and said, 无毛视频淚 think we无毛视频檙e being duped.无毛视频�
A few minutes later Trump began gesturing for Esper to join him for a group photography, with the church as background. 无毛视频淚 reluctantly moved into the lineup,无毛视频� Esper writes, 无毛视频渁t the far end.无毛视频�
Far end or middle of the frame, the damage was done.
Later that night, on the National Mall, Esper said he and Milley realized that 无毛视频渢he White House [had] played us 无毛视频� for political gain无毛视频�. We were disappointed in ourselves.无毛视频�
As secretary of defense, Esper had standing. Believing he had been 无毛视频渄uped,无毛视频� it would have been easy enough to head back to the White House, even from the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue.
As readers, are we to believe that Esper had two epiphanies 无毛视频� the first on the way to St. John无毛视频檚 Church, the second in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial with Milley at his side?
Esper said the events of June 1 convinced him that Trump would do and say anything to hold on to power. In that sense, 6/1/20 was warm-up for 1/6/21.
Richard Robbins lives in Uniontown. He can be reached at dick.l.robbins@gmail.com.