But Mr. Barr and Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, dissuaded him in conversations that grew loud and heated, officials said. None of the active-duty troops ever deployed in Washington, instead remaining on alert outside the city while National Guard members took up position. Mr. McCarthy and other top Pentagon officials had issued a loosely worded order for the helicopters to use “persistent presence” to disperse the protesters. On Sunday, Mr. McCarthy defended the National Guard presence in Washington and said troops “did everything not to cross” lines that would lead to violence. “At times it got a little tense,” Mr. McCarthy said.

Source: New York Times June 07, 2020 23:29 UTC