Trump's Protest Response Leaves Trudeau Speechless
WATT: President Trump is lashing out at his former Defense Secretary James Mattis, who earlier, issued a harsh rebuke of the man he once served. It read in part, "When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream the troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstances to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens; much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside." [01:20:] He went on to say, "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people, does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership." On the same day, President Trump's current Defense Secretary of -- Secretary of Defense said, he does not support the President's threat to send U.S. troops to quell violence on American streets. Kaitlan Collins has details from the White House.</s>KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, on the day that you saw the current Defense Secretary, his job security be cast into doubt after he came out at a press conference and contradicted the President, said he did not agree with him on his thought to invoke that 200-year-old law about putting current active duty military troops on U.S. streets. We also saw the former Defense Secretary under President Trump, James Mattis, come out with a withering statement, criticizing the President not only over the last few days and how he's handled the aftermath of George Floyd's death here in the United States and their response to it, but also criticizing him overall as president, saying that he has done nothing in the last three years to unite the country. Instead, he has only divided it. And Mattis saying that he believed the President had abused his executive authority when those protesters were cleared from the street on Monday night, so he could make that photo op trip to St. John's Church where, of course, he posed with a Bible outside. Now, focusing on the current Defense Secretary Mark Esper, we saw him come out at this press conference, say he did not agree with the President's threat to invoke the insurrection act, but also he said he was aware that they were walking across the park when they left the White House on Monday, but he wasn't aware it was going to turn into a photo op. He and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff faced heavy criticism for that, because, of course, the question was, are they politicizing the military? Esper says, No, they're not. But he broke with the President in a pretty remarkable way. And that followed a very lengthy meeting that he had at the White House, though right now, sources say he was on thin ice before this event happened. But currently, he still is expected to stay on the job. So, to be determined on that. But, of course, just hours later, and something that may have helped Esper stay in his job was this lengthy statement that we saw coming from Mattis, where he skewers the President and his leadership, saying basically that the country and the military and the Pentagon have to rise above the President's leadership or lack thereof, he says. It is a blunt and brutal statement coming from someone who works for the president, and of course, later resigned in protest. The President pushed back but not in his normal characteristic way he criticized Mattis, talked about his nicknames that he had while he was in the military, but he did not respond to the primary criticism coming from that letter from Mattis. Kaitlin Collins, CNN, the White House.</s>WATT: Joining me now is retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Russel Honore from Baton Rouge. He is also the author of the book, "Leadership in the New Normal." General, I just want to ask you, what does it take for a man like Mattis, Semper Fi and all, a military man to come out and speak the way he did today?</s>LT. GEN. RUSSEL HONORE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: I think he's a man of honor. And he remembers his oath that he spent decades serving this nation and he knows the Constitution. So, he speak with authority because he knows and follows the Constitution. And I think the challenge he was giving to the President was that the President either doesn't know the power -- the Constitution or he doesn't give a damn, but Mattis does.</s>WATT: And do you think that what he wrote is going to make any difference?</s>HONORE: I think it will sort out and get the lawyers and the Congress and the Senate talking in Washington about the presidential powers to deploy armed forces inside the United States. They need to have that discussion. Because it's not like sending the army out in the Navy to go help during the pandemic, this is different. And the White House need to understand that. He does not have the authority to use the Insurrection Act at will based on his assessment of what kind of job the governors are doing. That is the reason we have another act called the Posse Comitatus, which prevent presidents from deploying federal troops to go interfere in state matters.</s>WATT: General Mattis, you know, served in the White House. He's been gone more than a year. Interesting that this was the moment that he chose to speak. This was what made him break his silence. What do we read into that, that this was the moment that did it for him?</s>HONORE: Well, I think you might seem to know those of us in uniform, the covenant for us is the Constitution. That's what it's all about people in military now, volunteers, and we support and defend that Constitution. And I think what scared Gerald Mattis and he had to speak up, I spoke up myself and many other general officers and admirals, that don't mess with this Constitution, don't break this constitution, don't give the governors -- threaten the governors with the use of federal troops. That's not going to happen. It's not going to happen. And we need to make sure that our troops understand that they had a rock steady, stay focused on your mission and follow the orders of the officers appointed over you.</s>WATT: Lieutenant General Russel Honore, thank you very much for joining us.</s>HONORE: Have a good day.</s>WATT: Protesters filled London's Hyde Park and marched through the city on Wednesday, showing their solidarity with protesters in the United States, and also highlighting racism in the U.K. Star Wars actor John Boyega, one of many, making his voice heard.</s>JOHN BOYEGA, ACTOR: This is very important, this is very vital. Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important.</s>WATT: The protests were met with a stark message from the British Prime Minister. Take a listen.</s>BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN: We mourn George Floyd, and I was appalled and sickened to see what happened to him. And my message to President Trump, to everybody in the United States from the U.K. is that I don't think racism or race is an opinion, I'm sure is shared by the overwhelming majority of people around the world. With racism racist violence has no place in our society.</s>WATT: Now, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also expressed horror at the events unfolding in the U.S., yet, like Boris Johnson, fell short of criticizing President Trump. However, as CNN's Paula Newton reports, Mr. Trump's call for military intervention did elicit a rather awkward reaction.</s>PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For several days, Canadians have shown solidarity with American protesters, demanding justice for George Floyd and denouncing racism in Canada, too. And so, it was a fair question, one Canada's Prime Minister should have been expecting.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've been reluctant to comment on words and actions of the U.S. President. But we do have Donald Trump now calling for military action against protesters. We saw protesters tear gassed yesterday to make way for a presidential photo op. I'd like to ask you what you think about that. And if you don't want to comment, what message do you think you're sending?</s>NEWTON: 21 excruciating, uncomfortable seconds. Then finally --</s>JUSTIN TRUDEAU, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: We all watch in horror and consternation what's going on in the United States. It is a time to pull people together. But it is the time to listen. It is the time to learn what injustices continue despite progress over years and decades. But it is a time for us as Canadians to recognize that we too, have our challenges, that black Canadians and racialized Canadians face discrimination as a lived reality every single day.</s>NEWTON: No direct answer, no rebuke of President Trump. Just an awkward equivocal silence that revealed so much. Trudeau has had a difficult relationship with Donald Trump. The President called him dishonest and weak during the G7 summit in 2018. And with tariffs and threats, President Trump has treated Canada like an economic rival, not an ally In his silence, Trudeau seemed to squirm knowing one word, one slight could work against Canada's best interests and especially during these pivotal times, there is just too much to lose. One of the world's most lucrative and dependent trading relationships. And Trudeau's ambivalence might owe much to this as well. Photos of him that surfaced last year showing him wearing black face at a party two decades. Some opposition leaders said Trudeau should have had the courage to call out the President's actions with one saying he should grow a spine. But in 21 seconds of silence, Trudeau seemed to reason with himself the stakes were just too high. Paula Newton, CNN -- Ottawa.</s>NICK WATT, CNN ANCHOR: And meanwhile, President Trump's predecessor is praising the protesters and says they have reason to be hopeful. We'll bring you Barack Obama's very pointed message. Plus Hong Kong prepares to mourn the victims of the Tiananmen Square protests but this year's memorial will look a little different. We'll be live in Hong Kong with the latest.