Gen. James Mattis denounced President Donald Trump’s response to the George Floyd protests Wednesday.
Trump’s former defense secretary told The Atlantic that the president’s decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops throughout the streets of Washington, D.C., the administration’s tactics in dispersing George Floyd protesters gathered near the White House and Trump’s promise to mobilize military units if governors don’t mobilize the National Guard all “make a mockery of our Constitution.” (RELATED: Defense Secretary Says Trump Is Wrong — ‘I Do Not Support’ Mobilizing Military To Police Floyd Protests, Riots)
“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled,” Mattis’ statement opened before criticizing Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr’s use of the term “battle space” while referring to American cities.
US President Donald Trump (2nd-L) and US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (2nd-R) attend the annual Army-Navy football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 8, 2018.(Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Mattis directly accused Trump of being the first president in his lifetime who “does not even pretend to try” to unite the country.
“Instead he tries to divide us,” he wrote. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”
In closing, he claimed that “only by adopting a new path — which means, in truth, returning to the original path of our founding ideals — will we again be a country admired and respected at home and abroad.”
Mattis resigned after serving two years in the Trump administration. He was replaced by Mark Esper at the Pentagon in July of 2019.
You can read his entire statement here.