Defense Secretary Opposes Use of Active-Duty Troops to Police US Cities

June 3, 2020 by Dan McCue
Defense Secretary Opposes Use of Active-Duty Troops to Police US Cities
Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper holds a news conference at the Pentagon, June 3, 2020. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders)

WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he opposes the use of active-duty military to police U.S. cities and contain current street protests over the death of George Floyd.

“I’ve always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities in these situations in support of local law enforcement,” Esper said at a news conference at the Pentagon Wednesday.

“I say this not only as Secretary of Defense, but also as a former soldier and a former member of the National Guard, the option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort and only in the most urgent and dire of situations,” he added. “We are not in one of those situations now. I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act.”

Esper’s statement appears to put him at odds with President Donald Trump, who has warned state governors that he is willing to use the Insurrection Act of 1807 to send troops to “dominate” the streets if they can’t get a handle on the unrest.

Esper had already authorized the movement of about 1,300 active-duty Army units to military bases just outside the nation’s capital, but they have not entered the city — and defense officials said some of the troops were beginning to return to their home bases Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, the president appeared to be taking credit for the deployment of federal and other law enforcement officers to Washington,D.C., saying it offered a model to states on how to stop violence accompanying some protests nationwide.

Since the protests over Floyd’s death in police custody flared over the weekend, troops deployed to assist with protest response around the country have been National Guard forces under state control.

Asked whether Trump retains confidence in Esper, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday, “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.”

A+
a-
  • Defense Department
  • Donald Trump
  • George Floyd
  • Mark Espers
  • Protests
  • riots
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Military

    Harris Repudiates Trump Worldview and Says the US Won't Back Down on Ukraine's Defense

    MUNICH (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday warned of the dangers of growing authoritarianism and isolationism in a... Read More

    MUNICH (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday warned of the dangers of growing authoritarianism and isolationism in a not-so-veiled repudiation of Donald Trump’s worldview and threats to renege on security guarantees for NATO allies should he return to the White House. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Harris offered... Read More

    Biden to Attend Dignified Transfer for Three US Troops Killed in Jordan

    WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will join grieving families at Dover Air Force Base on... Read More

    WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will join grieving families at Dover Air Force Base on Friday to honor three American service members killed in a drone attack in Jordan, a solemn ritual that has become relatively uncommon in recent years as the... Read More

    Defense Department to Target 'Forever Chemicals' Contamination Near Michigan Military Base

    The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to... Read More

    The U.S. Department of Defense plans to install two more groundwater treatment systems at a former Michigan military base to control contamination from so-called forever chemicals, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin's office announced Friday. Environmentalists say the systems will help prevent PFAS from spreading into the Clarks... Read More

    Hamas Frees First Batch of Hostages Under Temporary Cease-Fire, Including 13 Israelis

    RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza for weeks,... Read More

    RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages who had been held captive in Gaza for weeks, including 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and a Filipino citizen, according to Qatar and other officials, in the first stage in a swap for Palestinians... Read More

    Live Updates | Cease-Fire Pleas and Israel-Hamas Recriminations Rise in Wake of Gaza Hospital Blast

    President Joe Biden is in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader... Read More

    President Joe Biden is in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader regional conflict and to encourage the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The president's visit on Wednesday came after hundreds of people were reported killed... Read More

    US Announces Sanctions Against Group of 10 Hamas Members and Financial Network

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. announced sanctions on Wednesday against a group of 10 Hamas members and the Palestinian militant... Read More

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. announced sanctions on Wednesday against a group of 10 Hamas members and the Palestinian militant organization's financial network across Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar as it responds to the surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,000 people dead or kidnapped.... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top