The top U.S. military official apologized on Thursday for being at President Donald Trump’s side as he walked to a church for a photo opportunity after authorities dispersed protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets, the New York Times reported.

ā€œI should not have been there,ā€ Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley said in a prerecorded video commencement address to National Defense University, the paper said. ā€œMy presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.ā€

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)