Esper's Split With Trump Over Sending US Troops To Kill Protests Put Him In Hot Water

Esper's Split With Trump Over Sending US Troops To Kill Protests Put Him In Hot Water

When US Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly split with President Donald Trump amid nationwide protests, he was gambling with his career.

Business Insider reports Trump was furious with Esper for not supporting him in sending in active-duty US troops to forcefully subdue protests.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to "deploy the United States military" to stamp out the demonstrations, triggered by the death of George Floyd.

Floyd was a 46-year-old black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

He was laid to rest on Tuesday.

Esper caught the White House off guard at a Pentagon news briefing, where he expressed his opposition to sending US troops into American cities.

He also distanced himself from Trump's photo-op at a church and the pepper-spraying of protesters from a nearby park that made that possible.