"The possibility of using active duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire situations. We are not in one of these situations right now. I do not support the invocation of the Insurrection Act, "he said during a briefing to the Pentagon.
Esper also tried to explain his use of the word "combat space" when he spoke of the suppression of violence on the streets amidst civil unrest.
"It's something that we use day after day ... it's part of our military lexicon I grew up with ... it's not a people-centered phrase," he said. . "In retrospect, I would have used a different formulation."
This story is breaking and will be updated.
