We want your comments on the president s relationship with the military. Our phone lines are open, 202 7488000 if you are active or retired military. For those in the eastern or central time zones, 202 7488001. Matt lauer pacific, mountain or pacific, 202 7488002. Us a text atgive comment on003, or facebook and twitter. A shooting took place outside of a wendys in atlanta, a white Police Officer to a black man. Some of the photos are posted on the atlanta journals website, and this is the front page of the Atlanta Journalconstitution as the situation continues to unfold, and a statement from the mayor of atlanta. Erika shields has been a solid member of the Police Department for two decades and have the deep and abiding love for the people of atlanta. Toef shields has offered immediately step aside as police chief so that the city may move inward with urgency rebuilding the trust so desperately needed throughout our community. That from the mayor of atlanta, as the demonstrations continue to unfold yesterday afternoon, into the evening, at some point turning violent with the wendys set on fire. Here are some of the scenes overnight. [video clip] [horns honking] [inaudible] we cant bring our brother back. His life is worth more than a restaurant. We are worth more than these corporations, because our lives matter. Situation has unfolded over night in atlanta, and that video courtesy of the Atlanta Journalconstitution. We want to turn our attention to the president s speech yesterday at west point, the class of 2020. Front page of the new york times, pomp and unusual as the graduates, wereng safely apart, told by the president that they wont serve and what he called endless wars. Im first caller from spoken, washington. Good morning. Caller hi. Something crossed my mind this week with the issues that went down, and a solution of the governor washington can use to mediate the capitol hill protesters. The indigenous tribes of seattle should be invited to the conversation. Were the original people who lived in the capitol hill area, and it would be wrong for them not to be invited to leave the conversation to go forward with this. Need to be institutionalized to go forward. What has happened with george changes have to happen. The only way change has to happen is people have to think outside of the box. The entire capitol hill area, i suggest to the governor via contact through Washington State on friday, they should cede that territory to the indigenous tribes of seattle. Host our focus in the first president s relationship with the military. The joint chiefs of staff apologize for his role in that photo in lafayette square. Yesterday, the president addressing the west point class of 2020. [video clip] best ensure you have the equipment and technology available, my administration has embarked on a colossal rebuilding of the American Armed forces, a record like no other. After years of devastating budget cuts and a military that was totally depleted from these endless wars, we have invested over 2 trillion trillion, in the most powerful fighting force by far on the planet earth. We are building new ships, bombers, jet fighters and helicopters by the hundreds. Military satellites, rockets and missiles. Thata Hypersonic Missile goes 17 times faster than the fastest missile currently available in the world and can hit a target 1000 miles away within 14 inches from centerpoint. In 70 years, time we established a new branch of the United States military, the space force. Deal. Big in recent years, americas warriors have made clear to all the high cost of threatening the American People. The savage isis caliphate has been 100 destroyed under the Trump Administration. Leader itsric barbaric leader, albaghdadi, is gone, killed. It is over. Solemani is likewise dead. Nevermanderinchief, i forget for one instant the immense sacrifices we ask of those who wear this nations uniform. Host that from the president yesterday, and we want to hear from retired or active duty military. That phone number is 202 7488000. Our question on the president s relationship with the military. There was this letter in advance of the president s each from those who had preceded the class point, we, at group of west point graduates, are concerned. We are concerned they are failing to uphold their oath of office and commitment to duty, honor and country. Their actions threaten the credibility of an apolitical military. We ask you join us in working to right the wrongs and working to hold each other accountable to the ideals and stilled by our alma mater and affirmed by each of us at our graduation. Is our guest, who covers the white house for the associated press. Good sunday morning and thank you for being with us. Guest youre welcome. Good morning. Host lets begin with the president s speech yesterday at west point. Why the controversy . Guest the controversy stems from the events of the past couple of weeks, and the way the white house responded to the killing of george floyd in minneapolis. After protests broke out in numerous cities across the country, the president wanted a very muscular response to that, tough law and order. He wanted to bring in the National Guard, which he did in some cities, and also wanted to bring in active duty military to quell the violence. Theveduty military on streets, policing the streets of american cities, is not something we are accustomed to in this country. Is supposed tory remain outside of politics, domestic politics, not have any role in that. The president one, kind of insisting that he would invoke the insurrection act, which is a law that could allow him to do this under circumstances is under certain circumstances, and the walk to st. Johns church, which had been fire damaged in one of the protest cindy c. When he walked over to that church, he was accompanied by defense secretary mark esper, and joint chiefs of staff chairman mark milley. Gave the impression that the military was getting involved in the white house and the political response to this protest. As i said before, that is not something we see in the united that upsetmerica and a lot of people, military people, nonmilitary people, activeduty military as well as retired military. Host let me go back to the of those who have preceded the long gray line. President sf the speech which we carried yesterday live, they write the following the aboard murder of george floyd has inspired many to protest Police Brutality and demand an end to racism. Sadly, the president has decided to use the army in which you serve as a weapon against fellow americans engaging in these legitimate protests. Worse, military leaders to take the views you have the day have today have participated in politically charged events. Does not imply blind obedience. Politicization of the armed forces puts at risk the bond of the American Military and american society. Should this trust be ruptured, the damage to the nation would be incalculable. America needs your leadership. Darlene, your reaction . Guest it was a very strong letter, and the depth of concern comes across in the number of people, alumni, graduates, spanning six decades, who signed the letter. At last count, it was more than 500 west point graduates had signed this letter to the graduating class, saying look these are serious times. These events that are happening in the past couple of weeks are very serious and you need to stay true to the oath that you have taken as you joined the army. There was really, really strong concern out there in the military about this kind of mixing of the military with politics. Host and this comes in a week and the chairman of the joint chiefs, he spoke to the graduates of the National Defense university a rare apology by the member of the military. Told the class. We will listen and come back and get your reaction. [video clip] maintain a keen sense of situational awareness. As senior leaders, everything you do will be closely watched. Result of you saw, the of the photograph of me at lafayette square, it sparked a National Debate about the role of the military and civil society. I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and that environment created a perception of the military involved in the domestic politics. It was a mistake that i have learnt from, and i sincerely hope we all can learn from it. We who where the cloth of our the cloth of wear our nation must hold dear the principles of an apolitical military that is so deeply rooted in the very essence of our republic. This is not easy. It takes time, work and effort, but it may be the most important thing each and every one of us does every single day. That from general milley, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff. Darlene, you were going to say . Guest an extraordinary expression of regret from the joint chiefs chairman, to hear him, out after days of criticism and public pressure there have been many calls for him and resign over this appearance they made with the president , walking over to the church. One thing i did not note in rarely or comments, general milley walked over in his combat fatigue uniform, so that lent an air to hisserious appearance with the president there. There was a photo with the president , a much criticized of st. F him in front johns Church Holding up a bible. He called over some senior advisers who walked over with him. Mark esper, the defense secretary, was one of those who ended up posing in the picture, and i have a feeling that if the president had looked around and seen general milley, he might have motioned for him to come too. Somehow the general managed to avoid that. But going back to the apology, it was very extraordinary. Both know that President Trump is not someone who likes to be publicly contradicted by the people who serve him, so it was extraordinary, as i said, to listen to general milley make this apology. There are some instances and sometimes when people just try to ride out controversies like tos, but the pressure seems be too much. The criticism seemed to be too much and the blowback seems to too much against general milley, and he felt he needed to come out and set the record straight and apologize. Host in talking about a rare reversal, the president had been tulsa,ed to be in oklahoma this friday, juneteenth, for the first make America Great again rally in a while. But it has been rescheduled for the next day. What is this back story . Guest the president does not given quite easily, but he did on this issue. Juneteenth is the anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States of america, and in tulsa, oklahoma, in 1921, there was a very serious, deadly race riot that happened. Hundreds of white people attacking black people. The president had scheduled this rally, the first in many months, since march, since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, for june 19. There was a lot of outcry, understandably, perhaps, from many in the black community, who did not like the idea of the president going to tulsa, oklahoma, restarting his Campaign Rallies on this day that is so important to a lot of black americans and other americans. It is one of those situations where there is a lot of outcry over this. Laid on friday night, the sident tweeted that he had late on friday night, the president tweeted that he had listened to some nameless people he did not name anyone but had decided to reschedule the rally for the next day, june 20 host . Darlene june 20. Lle, darlene supervi covered the white house for a b associated press. Thank you for being with us this sunday. This is the headline from fox news as the president tells west americansuates that endure against passions and prejudices of the moment, but these words come during tensions between the president and the military. Meanwhile, general mark milley, the chair of the joint chiefs, saying it was a mistake to accompany the president on a trip to st. Johns church on june 1. Fox news critics say the fox news, critics had put the debts at risk of coronavirus for the purposes of a photo opportunity. A group held a protest outside west points main gate against what it called trumps dangerous narcissistic photo op stunt at the west point graduation. Host our next caller, you are on the air. Go ahead. We and us,behalf of the people of the nation who are actually for peace and justice, we do not call for mark general esper to sit here and apologize for walking across the lawn in his uniform in honor of standing with our leader of the , to stop people who are apparently deciding to burn down churches, which our nation should represent. Freedom of any belief, which honestly, i did not see it as a general walking behind our president and going and attacking the people no, i seen it as our president and our as one, showing our regular bad people out there on , we do not go and destroy public property and do what we want to to anybody else just because we are angry. That is not the way we protest, that is not the way we communicate. If you are military, active duty or retired, our phone lines are open for you as well, 202 7488000. Howard is joining us in carmel, indiana. Good morning. Caller good morning. Trumps relationship with all things, but in this case we are talking about the military, is highly appropriate. He is dysfunctional as a human being and highly incompetent. His engagement of using the military for domestic protest should alarm everyone. Imagine the surprise at the callers who are poorly informed about how we structure our government and policing is anservice of our civility, army that is targeted against citizens. The prior color talked about some prideful stance prior caller talked about some prideful stance in front of that church. Citizens, it is our right to protest. That should be celebrated. That makes our country great, because it allows for ideas to break through. When you give voice to a great number of people, so i am really that those who follow trump now, after all that has happened, all the statements he has made, should really reevaluate the patriotism. Host howard from indiana, thanks for the call. A viewer on twitter says n gave a speech at west point, republicans had a cow. Said he was a draft dodger. Yesterday, a fine time draft dodger gave the commencement speech at west point and i see no republican cows. Firstent trump is in the is not the first member to use the military as props, but he is brazen in doing so. Over 1002 thats were called back to the u. S. Military academy at west point so the president could deliver a commencement address. Steve is joining us from webster, massachusetts. Good morning. Caller yeah. I am not quite clear on the circumstances, when federal troops were sent into little rock, arkansas during the problems there with schools. Tion in the i believe that was under a democratic president s, and i do not know if they were subjected to the same criticism that President Trump is receiving today. Host it was under president Dwight Eisenhower, just fyi. Caller what year was that . Host 1957. Caller what was the reaction . I do not know, that is why i am asking. It is not unprecedented. Our streets was unprecedented. Mr. Floyds murder was horrific, the president is between a rock and a hard place here. He wants to support law and order. Americans want this to happen. About theconfused whole situation. We have to stop the blowback. The media is criticizing him i mean, president s are open for criticism, but it is not bringing us together. They did burn a church, for god sakes. I have no objection with him holding the bible. Host the church that was burned was in birmingham, alabama. Caller no, i am not confusing that event. Host you are talking about st. Johns church. Caller exactly. I had no trouble with that. I just would like to discuss it. I dont know which way to go on this. It was horrendous. Host all right. It was september, 1957 when president Dwight Eisenhower ordered the National Guard to basically desegregate little rock high school. Ronald is joining us, he is next from monroe township, new jersey. Good morning. Caller hello, how are you doing . Host im fine, how are you . Caller ok. Since world war ii, we really havent won a major conflict, and we are spending 1 trillion each year on the military. Now, the president did address endless wars, but we are not addressing the accountability of the enormous amount of the budget, citizens which is over a half of the federal taxes collected. To a peace organization, we are trying to lessen those things, but he should be calling for some kind of accountability. Host thank you for the call. Karen is next from alabama. Good morning. Welcome to the conversation. Caller good morning. How are you doing today . Host im well, how are you . Caller im good, thank you so much. I wanted to call in originally to correct what the ap reporter said. She said trump wanted to provide a muscled response to the protests, but it wasnt the protesters, the ones who were peacefully protesting, it was to the people who were burning down buildings and looting. That is why he wanted to call the National Guard. He did not call the National Guard, the states did. I just wanted to correct that. Karen, let me jump in, he did call the National Guard for washington, d. C. Under the d. C. Charter, the president has the authority to do so. In the state, it is up to the governor. Caller but the National Guard in the states was he inferred that he called the National Guard all over the country. I just wanted some closure on that. Thats one. Speech at like the west point. I did not like the fact that he talked about trump accomplishments. I know he wasnt speaking to the cadets, but it was not the right time or the right audience, he was speaking to the media. We know that the compliments accomplishments already. The show with why is there a controversy . It is because it is trump. Everything he does is a controversy. Everything, whether it is right or wrong. People have not really talked much about biden and his performance with the military. He deferred because of asthma, and he is potentially the next president of the United States. Nobody eve