US protests: Defence Secretary Mark Esper splits from Donald Trump over troops

The future of US Defence Secretary Mark Esper is in doubt after he publicly repudiated Donald Trump.

The charred remains on Thursday of a Minneapolis petrol station torched during the riots sparked by the death of George Floyd. Picture: AFP

The future of Defence Secretary Mark Esper is in doubt after he publicly repudiated Donald Trump’s threat to use US active-duty soldiers to tackle civil unrest, saying he did not believe such an extreme step was warranted.

It came as charges were laid against three more policemen over the death of George Floyd while charges against the fourth, Derek Chauvin, were elevated from third to second-degree ­murder.

It also came as former defence secretary Jim Mattis attacked Mr Trump, urging Americans to “reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our constitution”.

The President fired back, saying it was an “honour” to fire General Mattis, who was “the world’s most overrated general”.

The three former policemen, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, will be charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder after video showed them doing nothing to stop Mr Chauvin as he pressed his knee ­fatally into the neck of Mr Floyd, an African-American, in Minneapolis last week.

Authorities were hoping the decision to lay charges against the three sacked officers and upgrade the charge against Mr Chauvin would help calm anger on the streets after eight days of protests and civil disorder across the country, but in the ninth consecutive night of nationwide protests, large crowds again marched through US cities, despite curfews and massive numbers of police and National Guard.

There were violent confrontations, with scuffles between police and protesters in New York’s Brooklyn and Orlando, Florida as crowds broke curfew rules but the marches were still more peaceful than earlier in the week.

Washington was abuzz with speculation about the future of Mr Esper after he openly disagreed with the President over whether regular troops should be made available to tackle the protests.

Mr Trump had said he would invoke the Insurrection Act to send US troops into American cities if mayors and governors did not act strongly to end the violent protests.

“I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act,” Mr Esper said at the Pentagon on Thursday (AEST), referring to the legislation of 1807 that allows a president to use troops on the streets in extraordinary circumstances.

President Donald Trump walks with Attorney-General William Barr, left Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, centre, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, right, and others from the White House to visit St John's Church.

“The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire situations. We are not in one of those situations right now,” Mr Esper said.

Even so, he reversed a Pentagon order to send 200 troops home from the Washington DC area, instead ordering they stay in the region in case of emergency.

His comments came after he used an interview to distance himself from Mr Trump’s decision to walk to St John’s church opposite the White House for a photo opportunity earlier this week.

Mr Esper, who was one of those photographed alongside the President outside the church, said he had no idea he was being asked to join Mr Trump for a photo opportunity. Protesters were violently cleared from the area moments before so the presidential entourage could walk to the church.

“I was not aware a photo op was happening,” said Mr Esper, who added that he did not know police had forcibly moved peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square. “I didn’t know where I was going, I wanted to see how much damage actually happened,” he said.

Mr Esper’s comments came after he was criticised for being used as a pawn by the President by appearing in the photo, undermining the Pentagon’s mission to stay neutral and avoid domestic politics.

The National Guard has so far helped police deal with the protests but in an extreme emergency under the Insurrection Act, the Pentagon could send regular soldiers to defend the White House and other federal buildings.

Mr Trump reportedly made the walk to St John’s church as a show of strength after being stung by reports that he took shelter in the White House bunker on Friday night in the face of wild protests outside. The President said on Thursday those reports were not true and he had only briefly visited the bunker earlier in the day “for an inspection”.

Former president Barack Obama said the tragedy of Mr Floyd’s death had awakened America to the ongoing scourge of racism. He said the protests were “as powerful and transformative as anything I’ve seen in recent years”.

“You have helped to make the entire country feel that this is something that has got to change. They offer an opportunity for us … to change America and make it live up to its highest ideals,” he said.

Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia