Trump Orders Troops to Leave D.C. as Former Military Leaders Sound Warning
Source: The New York Times
The president said National Guard soldiers would withdraw now that everything is under perfect control, even as three former Joint Chiefs chairmen condemned his use of military force.
WASHINGTON President Trump said on Sunday that he had ordered National Guard troops to begin withdrawing from the nations capital, after a week of relentless criticism over his threat to militarize the governments response to nationwide protests, including rebukes from inside the military establishment itself.
Mr. Trump announced his order on Twitter as three former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff harshly condemned him for using force to drive protesters back from the White House and threatening to send troops to quell protests in other cities. They warned that the military risked losing credibility with the American people.
The president said the National Guard soldiers would withdraw now that everything is under perfect control.
They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed, he wrote on Twitter. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!(In fact, the daylong protest in Washington on Saturday appeared larger than earlier rallies over the past week.)
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/us/politics/trump-military-troops-protests.html
National Guard troops near the White House on Saturday. Credit: Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times
SunSeeker
(51,378 posts)Rhiannon12866
(203,036 posts)no_hypocrisy
(45,774 posts)That means Trump couldn't find a feasible -- and legal reason to keep the National Guard on the streets.
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,828 posts)Congress should refuse to pay for his account as it is not a formally recognized outlet of government. Not a press release nor a formal statement signed by anyone. No copy of the so-called orders. Nothing but wind. For all we know it never happened, or he's claiming false credit once again for what another person did, or the orders state something other than his tweet conveys.
Rhiannon12866
(203,036 posts)It's not actual news, nothing official, it's just his random thoughts sent out into the ether! And we know that he can reverse himself at anytime, and has on countless occasions! If something were in writing like any other public official, it would be much easier to make him accountable, which is probably the point...
Miguelito Loveless
(4,438 posts)so Trump just did this to avoid the optics. He has 10,000 troops he withdrew from Germany who I am sure he now plans to deploy in DC and elsewhere.
malthaussen
(17,066 posts)Declare victory and walk away. SOP.
-- Mal