You know what they say: if you lie down with dogs, make sure you’ve got flea and tick prevention. General Mark Milley is trying to apply some after the fact following his appearance in a photo op with President Donald Trump. The much-maligned photo op in front of St. John’s church has drawn condemnation from both sides of the aisle.
Last week, peaceful protesters were removed from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. violently by Secret Service members. Protesters were hit with tear gas according to reporters on the scene. Following the violent clearing of the protesters, Trump walked across the square to the nearby church and posed for pictures with a Bible. A number of cabinet members and high-ranking officials accompanied him, including Mark Milley.
The photo op drew swift condemnation from critics all over the political and religious spectrums. Clergy at St. John’s called the episode shameful, stating they disapproved of the president’s use of their church as a prop. The Pope contended that Trump acted in a way that was non-Christian. Lawmakers from the Democrat and Republican parties condemned the use of force on peaceful protesters.
Top military officials also resented the use of military personnel in the photo op. Trump drew condemnation that week for also suggesting that the military could be brought in to deal with protesters. This led to Defense Secretary Mark Esper giving a sternly-worded rebuttal at the Pentagon, stating there were no plans to turn American military personnel on citizens. Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis echoed Esper’s condemnation of Trump’s statements.
In a prerecorded speech released on Thursday, Milley said, “As senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched. And I am not immune. 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.
“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.”
Milley expressed outrage over the killing of George Floyd. He also expressed sympathy to the cause of the protesters. The moment was surprising, as it marks one of the first times a top military official has apologized for appearing with the commander in chief.
