Gen. Mark Milley Apologizes for Appearing in Trump Photo-Op
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff apologized Thursday for appearing in a photo-op with President Trump outside the White House last week after peaceful protesters were removed from the area with chemical agents.
Gen. Mark Milley said he regrets the decision to accompany Trump across Lafayette Square to St. John’s Church last Monday, during which he wore his combat uniform.
“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,” Milley told graduates from 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 added.
Milley also said the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer made him “outraged,” adding that the subsequent protests across the nation reflect “centuries of injustice toward African Americans.”
Watch the video above, via CNN.
