President Trump was reportedly close to firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the Pentagon chief publicly broke with him over deploying active-duty troops during recent protests.
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump was prepared to ax Esper but was convinced not to do so after he consulted with several advisers and Republican lawmakers. Esper, who knew about the president’s feelings toward him, had also reportedly begun preparations for a resignation letter before being persuaded not to do so.
The tension came to a head when Esper publicly broke with Trump during a hastily called briefing at the Pentagon. The defense chief said he didn’t support the president invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to quell demonstrations that began after the death of George Floyd.
“I’ve always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities in these situations, in support of local law enforcement. I say this not only as secretary of defense, but also as a former soldier and a former member of the National Guard,” Esper said.
“The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now,” he added.
According to some officials, Esper’s comments were not vetted by the administration prior to the Pentagon news conference, and officials in the White House were caught off guard.
“It was a bad day. The president was close to losing confidence in him,” according to an official in the administration. “Ultimately, he decided to keep him in place.”
There was also controversy surrounding Trump’s walk from the White House to the recently vandalized St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he was photographed holding up a Bible. The photo was criticized by the church’s bishop and some lawmakers. Prior to the walk, a mixed group of law enforcement fired smoke canisters and rubber bullets to disperse protesters near the White House.
The day after the walk, a senior Defense Department official distanced Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from the clearing of protesters and the photo at the church.
“Their understanding was they were walking out of the White House to walk through Lafayette Park to review efforts to quell the protests,” a senior Defense Department official told a PBS NewsHour correspondent. “They were not aware that the Park Police and law enforcement had made a decision to clear the square … Once they walked out, they continued with him.”
“As that meeting concluded, the president indicated an interest in viewing the troops that were outside, and the secretary and the chairman went with him to do so. That’s the extent of what’s taken place. And they were part of the group who continued through Lafayette Park,” the official said.
Esper later clarified that he was aware of the walk to the church, just not about the specifics of what the group would be doing there.
“I did know that following the president’s remarks on Monday evening that many of us were going to join President Trump and review the damage in Lafayette Park and at St. John’s Episcopal Church,” Esper said at the news briefing last Wednesday. “What I was not aware of was exactly where we were going when I arrived at the church and what the plans were once we got there.”
“I did know that we were going to the church. I was not aware of a photo-op was happening,” Esper said in response to a question. “I did everything I can to try to stay apolitical and to try — trying to stay out of situations that may appear political, and sometimes, I’m successful with doing that, and sometimes, I’m not as successful.”
According to officials, Esper and Trump came to terms after the two met for a previously scheduled White House meeting following Esper’s Wednesday news briefing.
When contacted about this report, the White House directed the Washington Examiner to comments by White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on the matter.
“President Trump remains confident in Secretary Esper. Secretary Esper has been instrumental in securing our nation’s streets and ensuring Americans have peace and confidence in the security of their places of business, places of worship, and their homes,” she said Saturday.
The Pentagon declined to comment about the report when contacted by the Washington Examiner.
Protests calling attention to systemic racism and police brutality in the United States began after video emerged showing Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, being violently pinned to the ground by a white police officer. Floyd can be heard begging for his life while he had a knee dug into his neck for nearly nine minutes.
