Esper was the one stopping Trump order on using military on Floyd protests.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/defense-secretary-calls-accountability-george-floyds-murder-opposes/story?id=71042253
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/525158-esper-if-my-replacement-is-a-real-yes-man-then-god-help-us
“At the end of the day, it’s as I said — you’ve got to pick your fights,” he told the Military Times on Nov. 4. “I could have a fight over anything, and I could make it a big fight, and I could live with that —why? Who’s going to come in behind me? It’s going to be a real ‘yes man.’ And then God help us.”
When asked if other Defense secretaries have spent as much time attempting to balance the president’s wishes with their potential national security effects, he said, “Probably not. I don’t know, I’ve only worked for a couple.”