Defense Secretary Mark Esper told NBC News he had no advance notice before President Trump led him and other senior administration officials to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a widely criticized photo-op.
Said Esper: “I thought I was going to do two things: to see some damage and to talk to the troops.”
He added: “I didn’t know where I was going.”
Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said he was caught by surprise when Trump led them to the church for a staged visit.
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