Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said Wednesday that he does not support using active duty troops to quell the large-scale protests across the United States triggered by the death of George Floyd and those forces should only be used in a law enforcement role as a last resort, comments that came after President Donald Trump recently threatened to deploy the military to enforce order.
Secretary of Defense of the United States Mark Esper has openly proclaimed that he will not endorse his troops in active duty to be used for containing the chaotic situation happening around the metropolis area of the nation.
On Wednesday, Secretary Esper have said he would leave the proposed option as a “last resort”, which is a direct contrast to the threats the President has made previously on press interviews and his social media account.
“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. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act,” Esper said during a briefing at the Pentagon. Esper also denounced the police officers who killed George Floyd, calling the incident a “horrible crime” and said “racism is real in America, and we must all do our very best to recognize it, to confront it, and to eradicate it.
The officers on the scene that day should be held accountable for his murder. It is a tragedy that we have seen repeat itself too many times. With great sympathy, I want to extend the deepest of condolences to the family and friends of George Floyd from me and the Department.
Racism is real in America, and we must all do our very best to recognize it, to confront it, and to eradicate it,” he said. It is said that the President and his closest aides in the White House are not happy with Esper’s remarks.
Asked about his use of the word “battlespace” when discussing quelling violence on the streets amid civil unrest, Esper attempted to explain that it was “something we use day in and day out … it’s part of our military lexicon that I grew up with … it’s not a phrase focused on people.
In retrospect I would have used different wording,” Esper said.
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