I am outraged that President Trump directed the use of force against peaceful protesters to stage a self-serving photo op in front of St. John’s church in Washington, D.C.
As a military veteran, I am even more outraged that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and Secretary of Defense Esper participated in the event. Insulating the military from politics is essential to the health of our democracy.
President Trump has attempted to politicize the U.S. military by intervening inappropriately in military justice cases and by using military personnel and sites as props for political speeches. Even if Gen. Milley was misled as to the nature of the event, as Secretary Esper claims he was, he should have publicly distanced himself from the event immediately afterward.
This would have provided a much-needed statement against the president’s dangerous exploitation of the U.S. military for partisan political purposes. It’s time for the Defense Department’s uniformed leadership, starting with Gen. Milley, to take a stand against President Trump’s politicization of the U.S. military.
Robert M. Nutwell
Williamsburg
