This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
On June 13, 2020, President Donald Trump delivered a commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point, amidst growing tensions with military leaders over various issues.
Just days before, the president's walk through Lafayette Square to St. John's Church after peaceful protesters were forcibly pushed out by riot police had sparked widespread criticism from retired military officers, including former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
According to reports, Mr. Trump wanted to fire Defense Secretary Mark Esper after he spoke out against invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 to send active-duty troops into the streets, but was advised against it by aides who feared it would be a political debacle.
General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had also considered resigning over the Lafayette Square incident, but ultimately chose not to, and instead publicly apologized for participating in the president's church photo op.
The friction between the president and military leaders grew over the last few days as they signaled their openness to renaming Army installations named after Confederate generals, including Fort Bragg, Fort Hood, and Fort Benning.
However, Mr. Trump rejected the idea, suggesting it would be insulting to the troops who trained at those bases and then went off to fight in overseas wars.
The issue has resonance at West Point, where General Robert E. Lee was both a cadet and later superintendent, and his name remains honored on campus.
