© 2026
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scam Advisory: We have been made aware that an online entity is posing as Joe Donahue to invite authors and other creatives onto our radio shows. The scammers then attempt to charge guests an appearance fee for exposure/publicity.
Please note: WAMC does not charge guests to appear on the station and any email about appearing on a WAMC program will come from a wamc.org email address.

Mark Esper to speak about new memoir on All Things Considered

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Tomorrow on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, my interview with President Trump's former defense secretary, Mark Esper. Esper's new book, "A Sacred Oath," is out Tuesday. In it, he recounts this conversation with the former president who had summoned him and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley, to complain about protesters responding to the murder of George Floyd.

MARK ESPER: He looked frankly at General Milley and said, can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something. And it was - it was not just a - it was a question in the form of a - or a suggestion in the form of a question. And we were just all taken aback at that moment as this issue just hung very heavily in the air.

MARTIN: Esper tells us more about the challenges he faced serving in the Trump administration and why he stayed. Tune in to hear that story tomorrow on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. Just ask your smart speaker to play NPR or your local station by name.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.