Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, apologized Thursday for his role in President Donald Trump's controversial church photo op last week, saying he shouldn't have been at the scene.
"As many of you saw, the result of the photograph of me at Lafayette Square last week, that sparked a national debate about the role of the military in civil society," Milley said in a prerecorded address to the National Defense University. "I should not have been there. My presence in that moment, and in that environment, created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics."
"As a commissioned, uniformed officer, it was a mistake, that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it," he continued. "We who wear the cloth of our nation come from the people of our nation. And we must hold dear the principle of an apolitical military that is so deeply rooted in the very essence of our Republic. And this is not easy. 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."
President Trump faces criticism after church visit
June 2, 202002:37Milley's comments come nearly two weeks after the president oversaw a harsh response to peaceful protesters who gathered outside the White House, which was met with condemnation by Democrats, criticism from a handful of Republicans, and pushback from retired military leaders, including Trump's former Defense Secretary James Mattis.
Moments after authorities forcefully cleared the area of protesters, Trump walked with military leaders through from the White House through Lafayette Square to St. John's Episcopal Church, which was damaged by a fire during protests earlier in the week. He stood in front of the church, held up a Bible, and had a few photos taken before returning to the White House. Moments before the crackdown, Trump vowed to use military might to curtail rioting.
Milley, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Attorney General William Barr and others accompanied Trump to the church.
Speaking with NBC News, Esper said he thought the walk from the White House would be "to see some damage and talk to the troops." The following day, he said he did know they were embarking on a trip to the church but that he did not know "exactly where we were going when I arrived at the church and what the plans were once we got there."
U.S. Park Police initially denied using any tear gas on protesters during the removal, but later amended their response, saying they were incorrect to say pepper balls were not a form of tear gas.
