Republican senator Lisa Murkowski PRAISES Jim Mattis' attack on Donald Trump and says she is 'struggling' over supporting president as Mitch McConnell pleads with White House not to fire defense secretary

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Mitch McConnell offer his support to Mark Esper Thursday amid reports President Donald Trump is furious at his defense secretary, a blatant plea from the top Senate Republican for Esper to keep his job.

McConnell's appeal came as cracks started to appear among Republican senators' support for the president after Monday's controversial photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church and strong criticism from retired four-star General Jim Mattis.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday she was 'struggling' on whether she could support President Trump in the 2020 election.

'I was really thankful,' she said of Mattis' criticism of his former boss. 'I thought General Mattis' words were true and honest and necessary and overdue.' 

'I felt like perhaps we are getting to a point where we can be more honest with the concerns we might hold internally,' she said. 

And when asked if she can support still support Trump, Murkowski replied: 'I'm struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time.'

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said she was 'struggling' on whether she could support President Trump in the 2020 election

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his support for Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who is fighting for his job

Attorney General Bill Barr walks with President Donald Trump on Monday, as does Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley

 Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah also praised Mattis' words but held off on directly criticizing the president.

'General Mattis' letter was stunning and powerful. General Mattis is a man of extraordinary sacrifice. He's an American patriot. He's an individual whose judgment I respect, and I think the world of him,' he told reporters on Capitol Hill.

'If I ever had to choose somebody to be in a foxhole with -- it would be with a General Mattis. What a wonderful, wonderful man,' he added.  

Murkowski and Romney have crossed swords with Trump before. Murkowski voted against Trump's controversial Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Romney voted to convict Trump on one of the two articles of impeachment, although the Senate overall voted to exonerate Trump on both charges. 

Trump found himself in a quagmire of criticism and a storm of controversy after law enforcement officials used pepper spray, chemical agents, rubber bullets and officers on horse back to clear the area around the White House so the president could walk to St. John's Episcopal Church to get his photo taken holding a bible.

A few Republicans spoke out against the president as did several Democrats and prominent military officials, including Mattis and the current chairman of the joint chiefs.

Esper tried to distance himself from the mess and found himself in trouble with his boss. 

Should Trump fire Esper, the Senate would have to confirm his replacement. McConnell would be wary to hold confirmation hearings during an election year, when Democrats would use the opportunity to grill the nominee on Trump administration policies and its response to the protests that sprang up around the country in the wake of George Floyd's death. 

McConnell also gave his seal of approval to Attorney General Bill Barr, who has managed the administration's response to the protests and gave the controversial order to have peaceful demonstrators removed from the White House complex on Monday. Barr was criticized for the level of force used but does not appear to be in Trump's dog house.

'In these challenging times, the President and the American people are very well-served by the expert advice and principled leadership of people like Secretary Esper and Attorney General Barr,' McConnell wrote on Twitter.

'I appreciate their dedicated work at this difficult time for our nation and their steadfast commitment to their constitutional duties to preserve peace and order, uphold liberty, and protect the American people so they can freely exercise their rights,' the Republican senator from Kentucky added.

'I am glad President Trump has assembled such an impressive team that is working hard for all Americans,' he concluded. 

Esper was fighting for his job Wednesday after he broke from Trump on the use of a special military authority and then, after a meeting at the White House, announced a sudden reversal on a plan to start withdrawing active duty troops from around Washington. 

And he may find himself saved after three prominent military officers broke ranks to criticize Trump, a move that will likely distract the president from Esper's transgression. 

The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff joined retired generals Jim Mattis and John Allen in criticizing the president's handling of the George Floyd protests.

Army General Mark Milley said in a memo to troops they should 'defend the Constitution' and said that armed forces will continue to protect Americans' right to 'freedom of speech and peaceful assembly,' as the president has called in troops to defend Washington, D.C.

Milley's attempt to distance himself from the president comes as he was recently rebuked by retired generals after he marched out of the White House as part of Trump's entourage for a photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church while dressed in his combat uniform rather than his service or greens uniform.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley issued a public rebuke of Donald Trump  in a Thursday memo where the told troops to 'uphold the Constitution' as the president called the military to defend Washington D.C. against George Floyd rioters

Milley's letter came after General John Allen (left) and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (right), both retired four-star Marine generals, denounced the president's decision to call in the U.S. Military to assist with rioters

Republican Senator Mitt Romney voiced his support for Jim Mattis but avoided directly criticizing President Trump

Milley's action came after former Defense Secretary James Mattis issued his first ever open criticism of his former boss in an opinion piece published in The Atlantic on Wednesday.

'Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,' Mattis said in a rare quip against the president.

Mattis, a retired four-star general, also likened Trump's actions to the rhetoric used by Nazis – to 'divide and conquer.'

Trump responded by calling Mattis the 'world's most overrated general.'

And retired Marine Corp four-star General John Allen lashed out at Trump in an op-ed Wednesday claiming his actions in the midst of violent nationwide riots over the death of George Floyd are 'shameful.'

Allen, who commanded the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan then was an envoy in the international effort against ISIS, insisted Trump's presidency could be the 'beginning of the end of American democracy.'

'The slide of the United States into illiberalism may well have begun on June 1, 2020,' Allen wrote in an op-ed published to ForeginPolicy.com. 'Remember the date. It may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment.'

Esper, meanwhile, irked the White House after he told reporters Wednesday he was opposed to invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act to send the U.S. military to impose control of cities – even as the president talked tough on Twitter and ordered an infantry battalion to Washington, D.C.

It was a statement that caught the White House off guard at a time Trump is brandishing his maximum authority and was said to anger the president, who saw Esper's move as a breach of the chain of command.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper visits DC National Guard military officers guarding the White House

Attorney General William Barr, center, stands in Lafayette Park across from the White House on Monday before President Trump made his walk

Esper also sought to back away from Monday's controversial photo-op at St. John's church, where the area around the White House was cleared of peaceful protesters so Trump could pose with a bible.

He said that while he knew he would be going to the church, he thought he would be visiting troops. He ended up posing with Trump and officials including Barr, who the White House said ordered the area cleared Monday morning, only to discover it hadn't occurred hours later.

'What I was not aware of was exactly where we were going when we arrived at the church and what the plans were once we got there,' Esper said. He also tried to walk-back a comment that referred to U.S. cities as 'battle-space.' 'In retrospect I would use different wording' he said of his conference call with Trump and governors,' he said.  

Esper's public rebellion raised immediate questions inside the White House over how long he can survive.

 'As of right now secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper, and should the president lose faith we will all learn about that in the future,' white House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said when asked if Trump still has confidence in him. 

McEnany was asked if Esper had made his views on the Insurrection Act known to the president before his public statement, as well as whether Trump had confidence in him. 

'As of right now secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper,' said White House press secretary Keyleigh McEnany

'Not that I'm aware of in terms of expressing his opinion,' she responded. 'And I wouldn't get into the private conversations that went on here in the White House. And with regard to whether the president has confidence, I would say if he loses confidence in Secretary Esper I'm sure you all will be the first to know,' she said.  

McEnany referred to the Insurrection Act – which Esper argued publicly against – as a 'tool' the president could use.

'The president has the sole authority to invoke the Insurrection Act. It is definitely a tool within his power. This president has one singular aim, it is protecting america's streets. We cannot have burning churches,' she said, referencing the damage to St. John's on Sunday night. 

'The Insurrection Act is a tool available,' she said.