Pentagon distances itself from Trump on crowd control and laments 'murder' of George Floyd
by Abraham Mahshie
| June 03, 2020 11:03 AM
Defense Secretary Mark Esper delivered a strong condemnation Wednesday of the “murder†of George Floyd by Minnesota police officers while attempting to distance the Pentagon from politics and President Trump’s call to use the military to quell nationwide protests.
“The killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota policeman was a horrible crime,†Esper said from the Pentagon podium. “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.â€
Esper also distanced himself from Trump by saying he did not support using federal troops to quell protesters.
“I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act,†he 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 situations. We are not in one of those situations now.â€
Esper admitted that he regretted describing the use of National Guard troops for “dominating the battlespace†in a leaked call Monday with the president and governors.
“In retrospect, I would use different wording,†he said, describing the military lexicon. “It’s not a phrase focused on people, and certainly not our fellow Americans.â€
Esper took a much more conciliatory tone in his brief remarks than the language he used on the call with governors.
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