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Watch live: Defense Secretary briefs media after he joined Trump for church photo op


WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper is expected to address members of the Pentagon press corps after he received intense criticism for his participation in President Donald Trump’s photo op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church.

During a White House address Monday night, in which Trump threatened to deploy active-duty U.S. military if states failed to quell demonstrations, riot police forcibly cleared protesters out of Lafayette Square, across the street from the Executive Mansion.

Trump then walked through the square with several members of his Cabinet as well as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the nation’s highest-ranking military officer. The president then stood in front of the historic church holding a Bible and posing for photographs. He later motioned to members of his Cabinet to stand alongside him for more pictures.

Esper, who has previously said he would preserve the U.S. military’s apolitical nature, entered the frame and stood alongside Trump for the photo op.

In a Tuesday night interview with NBC News, Esper said: “I didn’t know where I was going” when asked about the highly criticized photo opportunity. “I thought I was going to do two things: to see some damage and to talk to the troops.”

Correction: An earlier version had the wrong day for Esper’s planned comments.

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