The nation's top military chief Mark Milley is apologizing for being a part of the now infamous photo-op at St. John's Church with President Donald Trump, saying it gave the impression that the military is involved in domestic politics. Milley's statement comes as pressure grows around the country for the removal of statues commemorating historic figures who once committed atrocities against people of color.
Statues of explorer and colonizer Christoper Columbus are among the symbols being toppled and destroyed in nationwide protests. In Richmond, Virginia, there were cheers as a statue of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, was dragged away from its pedestal.
In Washington, Nancy Pelosi is calling for 11 confederate statues to be removed from the halls of Congress. The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to rename 10 army bases, including Fort Hood and Fort Bragg, named after confederate generals.
President Donald Trump is rejecting the move.
"My Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations," he tweeted. "Our history as the Greatest Nation in the World will not be tampered with."
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