WASHINGTON (AP) — During his first term as president, Donald Trump tested the limits of how he could use the military to achieve his policy goals. If awarded a second term, Republicans and their allies are preparing to go even further, reimagining the military as an all-powerful tool to deploy on American soil.
He has promised to recall thousands of U.S. troops from overseas and station them on the border with Mexico. He has sought to use the military for domestic policy priorities, such as dealing with deportations and civil unrest. He’s talking about eliminating military personnel who ideologically oppose him.
President Trump’s vision could result in a dramatic shift in the military’s role in American society, with significant implications for both the country’s standing in the world and the constraints traditionally placed on its use at home. bring about an impact.
The Trump campaign has promised strong action against immigrants without permanent legal status as it heads into a final showdown with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. The Republican spoke in Colorado on Friday and said the city of Aurora is a “war zone” controlled by Venezuelan gangs, but authorities say it’s a block outside Denver and the area is safe again. It is said that
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“I will rescue Aurora and all the towns that have been invaded and conquered,” Trump said at the rally. “We are going to put these violent, bloodthirsty criminals behind bars or run them out of the country.”
In an interview aired on FOX News Channel on Sunday, President Trump was asked about the possibility of “outside agitators” disrupting Election Day, before turning the topic to what he called “the enemy from within.” .
“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. Furthermore, he added: “We have some very bad people. We have sick people and radical left-wing lunatics. And I think they are the biggest, and that will be done by the National Guard if necessary, or by the National Guard if it’s really necessary. It should be dealt with very easily by the military, because they cannot allow that to happen.”
President Trump has repeatedly cited the phrase “enemy from within” in recent speeches. On Saturday, he used the word to refer to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a prominent Trump critic who oversaw the congressional investigation that led to President Trump’s first impeachment. Mr. Schiff is currently running for the Senate.
The former president and his advisers are developing plans to change military priorities and resources even as wars rage in Europe and the Middle East. A top priority in President Trump’s platform, known as Agenda 47, is to take tough measures at the U.S.-Mexico border by “moving thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to the border.” He also pledged to “declare war” on the cartels, deploying the navy and enforcing a blockade to board ships and test them for fentanyl.
President Trump also said he would deploy the National Guard and possibly the military as part of an operation to deport millions of immigrants without permanent legal status.
While the Trump campaign declined to discuss details of those plans, including how many troops would be moved from overseas missions to the border, allies described the operation as a far-reaching mission that leverages the federal government’s most powerful tools. I have no hesitation in positioning myself. In a new and dramatic way.
“The Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense could work together. These three departments will probably have to coordinate in a way that hasn’t been done before,” he said. said Ron Vitiello, acting executive director.
Democratic and Republican presidential administrations have long committed military resources to the border, but this plan would significantly expand the military’s involvement in domestic policy.
Human rights and civil liberties advocates are alarmed.
“They are promising to use the military to carry out mass attacks on American families on a scale that is reminiscent of some of the worst acts our country has ever committed,” said Todd Schulte, president of immigrant advocacy group FWD.us. ” he said.
Republicans in Congress, which has the power to limit the use of military force through funding and other authorizations, largely agree with Trump’s plan.
“The reason I support Donald Trump is because he will secure the border on day one. That could be misconstrued as being a dictator. No, he has to secure the border. ” said Rep. Joe Wilson (RS.C.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Many Republicans argue that President Trump’s comments on immigration reflect reality and point to the need for military action.
“There is a case to be made that this is an invasion,” said North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd, a Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “If you look at 10 million people, many of them didn’t come here for a better future, and unfortunately, they ended up needing one. This is a problem caused by the government.”
Still, Trump’s plan to move military assets out of the country further heightens tensions between foreign policy hawks within the Republican Party and a party that promotes Trump’s brand of “America First” isolationism. There is a possibility.
Republican Rep. Mike Rogers (Alabama), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said that even though President Trump’s platform clearly states that he would move active-duty troops to the border, He insisted he had no intention of moving troops.
In the Senate, which is still dominated by traditional Republicans, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, issued a statement encouraging the Pentagon to help with border security, but that effort “There is a need,” he added. It is led by the Department of Homeland Security. ”
President Trump’s military plans may not stop at the border.
Trump’s aides had already made an unusual request for a military plane to transport him amid growing concerns about the threat from Iran as the president finishes his campaign with serious threats to his life.
During his first term, when riots and protests against police brutality roiled the country, Mr. Trump also pushed to deploy military personnel. Top military officers such as generals at the time. Mark Milley resisted these plans, including issuing a memo emphasizing that all members of the military are “sworn to support and defend the Constitution and the values embedded within it.”
President Trump’s potential actions include carrying out mass deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law, and suppressing insurrection under an 1807 law that allows the president to send troops into the country, including during wartime or It is likely that emergency powers will need to be invoked. And to the American people. The car was last used by President George H.W. Bush during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles after a police officer beat black motorist Rodney King.
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Ahead of President Trump’s possible second term, Congressional Democrats have tried to renew executive powers like the Insurrection Act, with little success.
So they instead issued dire warnings that President Trump has fewer guardrails for how he uses the military. He has an ability to bend institutions to suit his goals, from the Supreme Court, which is willing to reconsider long-standing interpretations of presidential powers, to the military, which removes officers and leaders likely to push back on his plans. has been shown.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who introduced the Insurrection Act amendment bill, said the plan was “not a personal preference of President Donald Trump to incite trouble, but a military for national defense.” This reveals a complete misunderstanding by the U.S. military.” ”
But Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) emphasized that many in his party are accustomed to sending in the military to fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
“Anything that fixes the border, we think that’s fine,” he said.
