The White House wanted to deploy 10,000 active duty troops to the streets of Washington DC and other U.S. cities earlier this week to quell protests, but Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint of Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley refused to sanction the move, CNN reported on Saturday citing a senior defense official.

Protests against racism and police brutality sparked by the police killing of unarmed African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis entered a 12th day on Saturday with tens of thousands of demonstrators marching in Washington DC and other U.S. cities.

The protest in the U.S. capital has been shaping up to be the largest of the many demonstrations seen this week around the world.

Miley believed the situation did not require active duty troops' assistance, CNN reported, adding that Esper ultimately put around 1,600 active duty troops on standby in Washington DC and they began to leave the city on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Guard on Saturday said it has deployed more than 43,300 soldiers across the nation to curb the unrest, an additional deployment of 1,800 military personnel compared to Friday.

"Today, more than 43,300 members of the National Guard are deployed in 34 states and DC to support security forces in the face of civil unrest, while more than 37,000 Guard soldiers continue to support the COVID-19 response," the National Guard posted on its official social media account.

Former U.S. diplomats also expressed concern over the Trump administration's strong-arm response to protests.

"If you're an American diplomat overseas, suddenly we look hypocritical," said Nicholas Burns, former ambassador to Greece and NATO under the Clinton and Bush administrations.

"We've been saying to countries, 'Do the right thing. Treat minority populations well. Don't use force against protesters. Let people exercise their civil and constitutional rights in your societies.' Now they're coming to us and telling us to do that. How sad is that?" he added.

Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel in the Obama administration, said: "It really was – humiliating is an accurate phrase but doesn't fully capture it. It's more a feeling of shame, of our inability to address our own problems."

Shapiro noted that the protests actually show hope and inspiration for reform as many young people join the calls for change.

"Even in this story, the response of the people and these incredible inspiring protests, led by young people who are articulating our best values, is actually a reason for hope and pride. So that's part of the story too. It should always be told that way too," he said.

(Cover: DC National Guard Military Police officers and law enforcement officers stand guard during a protests against the death of George Floyd, near the White House in Washington DC, U.S., June 1, 2020. /Reuters )