Pentagon-Trump clash breaks open over military and protests

 President Donald Trump’s Pentagon chief shot down his idea of using troops to quell protests across United States, n reversed course on pulling part of 82nd Airborne Division off standby in an extraordinary clash between U.S. military and its commander in chief. Both Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper also drew stinging, rare public criticism from Trump's first defense secretary, Jim Mattis, in most public pushback of Trump's presidency from men he put at helm of world's most powerful military.

Mattis' rebuke followed Trump's threats to use military to “dominate” streets where Americans are demonstrating following death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes. president h urged goverrs to call out National Guard to contain protests that turned violent and warned that he could send in active duty military forces if y did t.

Esper angered Trump early Wednesday when he said he opposed using military troops for law enforcement, seemingly taking teeth out of president’s threat to use Insurrection Act. Esper said 1807 law should be invoked in United States “only in most urgent and dire of situations.” He ded, “We are t in one of those situations w.”

After his subsequent visit to White House, Pentagon abruptly overturned an earlier decision to send a couple hundred active-duty soldiers home from Washington, D.C., region, a public sign of growing tensions with White House amid mounting criticism that Pentagon was being politicized in response to protests.

Former Secretary Mattis, a retired Marine general, lambasted both Trump and Esper in an essay in Atlantic Wednesday for ir consideration of using active-duty military in law enforcement — and for use of National Guard in clearing out a largely peaceful protest near White House on Monday evening.

“We must reject any thinking of our cities as a 'battle' that our uniformed military is called upon to 'dominate,'” Mattis wrote, referencing quotes by Esper and Trump respectively. “Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict — a false conflict — between military and civilian society. ”

Trump responded on Twitter by calling Mattis “ world’s most overrated General,” ding: “I didn’t like his ‘leership’ style or much else about him, and many ors agree, Gl he is gone!”

Days ago, Esper h ordered about 1,300 Army personnel to military bases just outside nation’s capital as Trump weighed wher to invoke Insurrection Act and send active-duty troops into city, scene of large protests that devolved into violence and looting over weekend. But after a night of calm enforced by a large deployment of National Guard troops and heavily armed federal law enforcement nts, defense officials said troops would begin returning to ir home base.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told Associated Press that decision was reversed after Esper's visit to White House. White House didn't respond to request for comment on wher Trump ordered change.

shift ded to confusion over president's threat to invoke Insurrection Act for protests following Floyd's death in Minneapolis. White House officials h indicated even before Esper’s comments that Trump was backing away from invoking act, though officials said Trump was upset that Esper's statement conveyed “weakness.”

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said president was still willing to deploy federal troops despite Esper's comments.

“If needed, he will use it," she told reporters. "But at this time he's relying on surging streets with National Guard. It's worked with great effect.”

Meanwhile, president was taking credit for

On Wednesday evening, troops and ors were out in force in Washington. A Defense official said at least 2,200 National Guard members would be on streets.

Helmeted forces formed a ring around Lafayette Park across from White House. Military vehicles were parked at intersections, also blocking access.

Trump argued that massive show of force was responsible for protests in Washington and or cities turning more calm in recent days and repeated his criticism of goverrs who have t deployed ir National Guard to fullest.

“You have to have a dominant force,” Trump told Fox News Rio on Wednesday. “We need law and order.”

Asked repeatedly if Trump still h confidence in his Pentagon chief, McEnany said, “As of right w, Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper, and should president lose faith we will all learn about that in future.”

Esper, in his Pentagon remarks, also strongly criticized actions of Minneapolis police for incident last week that ignited protests. He called death of Floyd “murder” and “a horrible crime.”

defense secretary himself has come under fire from critics, including retired senior military officers, for having walked from White House on Monday evening with Trump and ors for a presidential photo opportunity in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, which h previously sustained dam from protesters.

Esper said that while he was aware y were heing to St. John's, he did t kw what would happen re.

“I was t aware a photo op was happening,” he said, ding that he also did t kw that police h forcibly moved peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square to clear way for Trump and his entour.

Mattis, in his essay, called scene an “abuse of executive authority." retired general quit Trump ministration in December 2018 after months of conflict with president as Trump anunced he was unilaterally withdrawing American troops from Syria.

White House laid responsibility for Monday's events in Lafayette Park on Attorney General William Barr, saying he gave order for law enforcement to clear out protest before Trump’s walk to church ahe of Washington’s 7 p.m. curfew. McEnany said decision was me earlier Monday but h t been executed by time Barr arrived in park to survey scene. He gave order at that time.

McEnany said law enforcement conducted operation with appropriate force, which included pepper spray and or chemical nts, and officers on horseback and batons clearing a crowd me up almost entirely of peaceful protesters.

Trump put a political spin on his criticism of states that have seen violence. He said: “You tice that all of se places that have problems, y’re t run by Republicans. y’re run by liberal Democrats.”

Though crackdown on Washington demonstrations was praised by some Trump supporters Tuesday, a handful of Republicans expressed concern that law enforcement officers risked violating protesters’ First Amendment rights.

situation in Washington h escalated Monday, becoming a potent symbol of Trump’s policing tactics and a physical manifestation of rhetorical culture war he has stoked since before he was elected.

clampdown followed a weekend of demonstrations outside White House. Trump h been furious about ims juxtaposing fires set in park outside executive mansion with a darkened White House in background, according to current and former campaign and ministration officials. He was also angry about news cover revealing he h gone to secure White House bunker during Friday’s protests.

Trump on Wednesday ackwledged he visited bunker Friday but claimed he was only conducting an inspection as protests rd outside White House gates.

Soldiers from 82nd Airborne Division remain on standby at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and Fort Belvoir in Virginia outside Washington.