The Joint Chiefs chairman said his presence and the photographs compromised his commitment to a military divorced from politics.
Gen. Mark Milley, the nation’s top military officer, expressed his regret on Thursday for walking with President Donald Trump across Lafayette Square for a photo op after authorities forcefully cleared the area of protesters, calling the appearance a “mistake.”
“I should not have been there,” said Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a video commencement address to National Defense University. “As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”
The remarks were first reported by The New York Times. POLITICO obtained the video of the address.
The June 1 images of Milley walking the streets of D.C. in his combat uniform prompted outrage from current and retired officials, and many accused Pentagon leaders of allowing the military to be used as a political prop by the Trump administration.
Trump had just announced to reporters that if states do not call up the National Guard to handle civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd, he would deploy active-duty troops to those cities.
After the remarks, U.S. Park Police forcefully removed protesters from Lafayette Square, allowing Trump, Milley, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other top officials to walk across the area to St. John’s Episcopal Church, which had been damaged by fire. Trump posed for cameras holding a bible, then Esper joined other officials in a group photo as Milley stood to the side. Esper later told reporters that he didn’t know he was heading for a photo op.
Milley acknowledged to the NDU graduates that his presence at the photo op inappropriately politicized the military.
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The Joint Chiefs chairman said his presence and the photographs compromised his commitment to a military divorced from politics https://t.co/wDhYU0YIx8
— POLITICO (@politico) June 11, 2020
"I should not have been there," said Gen. Mark Milley, in a video commencement address to National Defense University. "As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it" https://t.co/hOqgCkJqUB pic.twitter.com/eOOfCc4noP
— POLITICO (@politico) June 11, 2020
Good for CJCS Mark Milley to express publicly his regrets for allowing himself to be used politically. The military is a vital institution, & it is essential it keep its distance from politics so it enjoys broad domestic support & is unified & ready to handle foreign challenges.
— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) June 11, 2020
Milley Apologizes for Role in Trump Photo Op: ‘I Should Not Have Been There’ https://t.co/09IuBSOFmB
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 11, 2020
Gen. Milley’s mea culpa for participating in the walk to St. John’s church was heartfelt & appropriate.
Aside from his warning about politicization of the military, his remarks also demonstrate the power – the credibility – that comes from admitting one’s mistakes.
Good on him.
— John Kirby (@johnfkirby63) June 11, 2020
This is a point the media keeps missing in their coverage of this on tv. Milley is letting it be known that he thinks he was tricked by Trump into showing up at the church photo opp.
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) June 11, 2020
Good for Gen. Milley. Combined with his memo, a clear (though properly implicit) signal is being sent about the proper role of the military in the present moment. https://t.co/7F97J49GjG
— David French (@DavidAFrench) June 11, 2020
As with Obama before him, Trump uses the military for props. This general was used.
Joint Chiefs chairman Milley discussed resigning from post after Trump photo-op: report https://t.co/Y27igAEhCb pic.twitter.com/2c8ZuhCr9n
— The Hill (@thehill) June 12, 2020
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