James Miller, who served as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, is announcing his resignation from the Defense Science Board, noting that his departure is “effective immediately.”
Miller’s resignation letter titled, “A Letter to Mark Esper” was published on The Washington Post on Tuesday. In the letter, Miller criticized the series of events that took place on Monday evening.
Peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C., were forcefully disbursed from Lafayette Park with reportedly the use of tear gas and rubber bullets by local law enforcement and the U.S. Military, as previously reported on IJR.
The split screen tells the story. Trump spoke half an hour after he was scheduled to, just as police in riot gear were using tear gas to disperse protesters outside the White House. He got the pictures to back up his words #GeorgeFloydProtests #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/G6O8u5kXQS
— Barbara Serra (@BarbaraGSerra) June 2, 2020
Shortly after, President Donald Trump walked to St. John’s Episcopal Church, the historic parish directly across the street from the White House for a photo-op.
“On Monday, June 1, 2020, I believe that you violated that oath,” Miller said in the letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. “Law-abiding protesters just outside the White House were dispersed using tear gas and rubber bullets — not for the sake of safety, but to clear a path for a presidential photo op. You then accompanied President Trump in walking from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church for that photo.”
Miller continued, “President Trump’s actions Monday night violated his oath to ‘take care that the laws be faithfully executed,’ as well as the First Amendment ‘right of the people peaceably to assemble.’”
Quite the split-screen here as Trump promises to dispatch "heavily armed soldiers" while protesters throw tear gas canisters away from the crowd. pic.twitter.com/kMlwTiCeLy
— Cameron Peters (@jcameronpeters) June 1, 2020
He went on to criticize Esper for his alleged complicity in the force on protestors.
“You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force, but you could have chosen to oppose it. Instead, you visibly supported it.”
For Miller, the incident, which unfolded on national television, was the breaking point. Now, he is urging Esper to deeply consider where he will “draw the line.”
“Anyone who takes the oath of office must decide where he or she will draw the line: What are the things that they will refuse to do?” Miller wrote.
Miller, who is not sure there is a line Trump will not cross, also warned of the days to come and the difficult decisions Esper may be faced with if he does not take initiative and draw the line, himself.
According to Miller:
“Unfortunately, it appears there may be few if any lines that President Trump is not willing to cross, so you will probably be faced with this terrible question again in the coming days. You may be asked to take, or to direct the men and women serving in the U.S. military to take, actions that further undermine the Constitution and harm Americans.”
Wishing Esper the best, Miller hopes that his resignation letter is a wake-up call for the Defense secretary.
“I hope this letter of resignation will encourage you to again contemplate the obligations you undertook in your oath of office, as well as your obligations to the men and women in our military and other Americans whose lives may be at stake,” he wrote, adding in his conclusion, “I wish you the best, in very difficult times. The sanctity of the U.S. Constitution, and the lives of Americans, may depend on your choices.”
