During his first term as president. Donald Trump He tested the limits of how the military could be used to achieve policy goals. If he gets a second term, the Republican and his allies are preparing to go much further and reimagine the military as a military force An extremely powerful tool for deployment on US soil.
He pledged to recall thousands of American troops from abroad and deploy them on the American border with Mexico. I have explored using forces for domestic policy priorities such as deportations And confront civil unrest. He has talked about getting rid of military officers who oppose him ideologically.
Trump’s vision amounts to a potentially radical shift in the role of the military in American society, one that has serious consequences for the country’s standing in the world and the restrictions that have traditionally been imposed on the domestic use of the military.
As Trump’s campaign heads into its final stretch against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, he promises strong action against immigrants who do not have permanent legal status. Speaking in Colorado The Republican on Friday described the city of Aurora as a “war zone” controlled by Venezuelan gangs, although authorities say that was One block from Denver suburbThe area became safe again.
“I will save Aurora and every city that has been invaded and occupied,” Trump said at the rally. “We will put these evil and bloodthirsty criminals in prison or expel them from our country.”
The former president and his advisors are working on plans to change the army’s priorities and resources, even at a time when wars are raging in Europe and the Middle East. Trump’s top priority in his platform, known as Agenda 47Its mission is to enforce tough measures on the US-Mexico border by “moving thousands of troops currently stationed abroad” to that border. He also pledged to “declare war” on the gangs and deploy the Navy in a blockade that would board ships and inspect them for fentanyl.
Trump also said he would use the National Guard and possibly the military as part of the process to deport millions of immigrants who do not have permanent legal status.
While Trump’s campaign has declined to discuss the details of those plans, including how many troops he will move from overseas missions to the border, his allies are not shy about portraying the operation as a sweeping mission that uses the federal government’s most powerful tools. In new and dramatic ways.
“It is possible that there will be an alliance between the Department of Justice and Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. “These three departments need to be coordinated in a way that may not have been done before,” said Ron Vitiello, who served as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Trump.
While Democratic and Republican presidential administrations have long used military resources on the border, the plans would mark a stunning escalation of the military’s involvement in domestic politics.
Human rights and civil liberties advocates are becoming concerned.
“They are promising to use the military to conduct mass raids on American families on a scale reminiscent of some of the worst things our country has done,” said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, an immigration advocacy organization.
In Congress, which has the power to restrict the use of military force through funding and other authorizations, Republicans largely support Trump’s plans.
“The reason I support Donald Trump is because he will secure the border on day one. Now that could be misinterpreted as a dictator. No, he has to secure the border,” said Rep. Joe Wilson, D-N.Y., a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Many Republicans argue so Trump’s speech on immigration It reflects reality and indicates the necessity of military action.
“There is a case that this is an invasion,” said Ted Budd, a Republican senator from North Carolina on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “You’re looking at 10 million people, many of whom are not here for a better future, and unfortunately, that has been made necessary. This is a problem created by the Biden administration and the Harris administration.”
However, Trump’s plans to transfer military assets from abroad could further inflame tensions within the Republican Party between those foreign policy hawks and Republicans who promote Trump’s isolationist “America First” slogan.
Republican Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, insisted that Trump would not move active-duty troops to the border, even though Trump’s platform clearly states that he would do so.
In the Senate, where traditional Republicans still have influence, Senator Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee from Mississippi, issued a statement encouraging the Department of Defense to help with border security, but added that the efforts “need to be strengthened.” Led by the Department of Homeland Security.”
Trump’s designs for the military may not stop at the border.
As Trump continues his campaign marked by serious threats to his life, his aides are already taking action An unusual order for military aircraft To transfer him amid growing concerns about him Threats from Iran.
During his first term while riots and protests against police brutality were ravaging the country, so was Trump Paid to publish Military personnel. Senior military officers, such as then- General Mark Milley resisted those plansIncluding issuing a memorandum that stressed that every member of the military “takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution and the values embodied therein.”
Trump’s potential actions would likely require him to invoke wartime or emergency powers, such as enforcement Mass deportations under the Alien Enemies ActAct of 1798, or Suppression of disturbances under the Insurrection Actan 1807 law that allows the president to deploy the military domestically and against American citizens. It was last used by President George H.W. Bush in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots after police officers beat black motorist Rodney King.
Ahead of a potential second term for Trump, Democrats in Congress have tried to update presidential powers such as the Insurrection Act, but have found little success.
This has led them instead to issue stark warnings that Trump now has fewer barriers to how he uses the military. He has demonstrated an ability to bend institutions to achieve his goals, from a Supreme Court willing to reconsider outdated interpretations of presidential powers, to alienating the military from officers and commanders who are likely to back away from his plans.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who has introduced legislation to update the Insurrection Act, said the plans “highlight Donald Trump’s complete misunderstanding of the United States military as a national defense force, not his personal preferences for making an issue.” “
But Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Republican of Texas, emphasized the number of people in his party who have become comfortable with deploying the military to confront illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
“I think we are OK with anything that fixes the border,” he said.