'Can't you just shoot them': New book makes explosive claim about Donald Trump's handling of protests

There has been a number of books written by prominent figures in the Donald Trump administration chronicling their time in the White House and most of them have made some damaging claims about the former president of the United States. Former defense secretary Mark Esper became the latest official to provide a sneak peek into how Trump ran things during his tenure as president.

Esper, in his memoir called "A Sacred Oath," wrote that Trump was quite angry with the protests outside the White House in 2020 and even said "Can't you just shoot them?".

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The preview of the memoir on the Axios news website stated that "the president complaining loudly about the protests under way in Washington" over the police killing of a Black man. The protests were part of a nationwide movement in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

"Can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?" Trump was quoted as saying.

Esper was reportedly removed from his position in 2020 after he spoke against invoking the 200-year-old Insurrection Act which allows the military to be deployed in the United States, according to AFP.

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Earlier, journalist Michael Bender wrote in his book that according to sources, Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley had a disagreement with Trump when it came to using the military on US grounds. The account by Esper further bolsters the possibility of a rift in Trump’s inner circle.

The book by Mark Esper is slated for release on May 10 and according to the Axios website, it has been vetted by the Pentagon and reviewed by generals and cabinet members.

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