After a WH meeting today, Esper overturned his decision to send 200 active-duty soldiers home after two days of more peaceful demonstrations in D.C. The meeting and the abrupt reversal suggest Trump or his aides pressured Esper to keep troops in the area
Esper acknowledged telling the armed service chiefs that he wanted to send the department's initial message about the tragedy. But several officials appeared to break with that order: The top uniformed leaders of the Air Force and Space Force have condemned Floyd's death in the past few days. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Kaleth O. Wright described his own experience as a black man and called for change in a social media post.
"We've been consumed with a lot of things between now and then, but I do think it's important to speak up," Esper said. "My hope is that instead of the violence in the streets we will see peaceful demonstrations that honor George Floyd, that press for accountability for his murder, that move us to reflect about racism in America and that serve as a call for action for us to come together and to address this problem once and for all.
During his comments, Esper provided a detailed account of the events of Monday night, saying he was "not aware" that there would be a photo op after the president's remarks in the Rose Garden. He did know that he and other officials were going to join Trump in reviewing the damage in Lafayette Park and at the church.
Esper also addressed his controversial comments to governors over the weekend that states "dominate" the "battle space" so that civil unrest "dissipates and we can get back to the right normal." He said the wording is "part of our military lexicon that I grew up with," and that the "battle space" in this context referred to the operation, not to the American people.
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