'I wish you the best': US military adviser resigns after Trump's controversial photo-op at church

US Department of Defence Adviser James Miller Jr has resigned, effective immediately, from the military's science board in protest of what he believed to be a violation of conduct from Defence Secretary Mark Esper.

Miller reasoned that Secretary Esper could have opposed use of force against protesters who gathered around St John's Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, on Monday when President Donald Trump visited the church and posed with a Bible for photographs., reports Business Insider. 

In his resignation letter, Miller, the former under secretary of defense for policy from 2012 to 2014, recalled that he swore an oath of office to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States ... and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same," similar to what the defense secretary had done before he took office.

"On Monday, June 1, 2020, I believe that you violated that oath," Miller wrote in his letter to Esper, which was obtained by The Washington Post.

Rev Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop, described the scene to CNN and The Washington Post as an "abuse of sacred symbols" amid a "a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus and everything that our churches stand for."

Budde told The Post that she "was not given even a courtesy call, that they would be clearing [the area] with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop."

Esper, along with US Army Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was also present during the visit.

"Law-abiding protesters just outside the White House were dispersed using tear gas and rubber bullets — not for the sake of safety, but to clear a path for a presidential photo op," Miller wrote. "You then accompanied President Trump in walking from the White House to St. John's Episcopal Church for that photo."

"You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force, but you could have chosen to oppose it," Miller added. "Instead, you visibly supported it."

In the letter, Miller also queried Esper on where he believed the Constitution's limits were in relation to his duties.

"You must have thought long and hard about where that line should be drawn," Miller wrote. "I must now ask: If last night's blatant violations do not cross the line for you, what will?"

"Unfortunately, it appears there may be few if any lines that President Trump is not willing to cross, so you will probably be faced with this terrible question again in the coming days," he added. "You may be asked to take, or to direct the men and women serving in the US military to take, actions that further undermine the Constitution and harm Americans."

Esper claimed he was unaware of where he was going with the entourage on Monday.

"I thought I was going to do two things: to see some damage and to talk to the troops," he said in an NBC News interview.

"I didn't know where I was going," he added. "I wanted to see how much damage actually happened."

Miller served on the military's Defense Science Board, a group of retired senior officials who are "best equipped to tackle the Department's challenges in acquisition, cyber, communication technology, and weapons of mass destruction."

He was awarded the Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Defense Department's highest honorary award for civilians, four times in his career, according to his biography from the Center for a New American Security think-tank.

"I wish you the best, in very difficult times," Miller said at the end of his letter. "The sanctity of the US Constitution, and the lives of Americans, may depend on your choices."