Tag Archives: Pentagon

Guardian: Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’

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Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was unnecessary

California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.

Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions.

“The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which represents the interests of military spouses, children and veterans.

“Families are scared not just for their loved ones’ safety, although that’s a big concern, but also for what their service is being used to justify.”

Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’
Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was not necessary

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/12/los-angeles-national-guard-troops-marines-morale

Washington Post: Trump plans broader use of National Guard in immigration enforcement

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The White House wants the national guard to play a bigger role in immigration enforcement, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said in an interview Thursday.

The Trump administration wants to use the National Guard more broadly to enact the president’s immigration agenda, according to border czar Tom Homan, documents and people familiar with plans.

“They can’t make immigration arrests, but they can certainly augment for security, transportation, infrastructure, intelligence,” Homan said in an interview with The Washington Post.

A month before President Donald Trump federalized the California National Guard and sent them to Los Angeles as part of the government’s response to protests over immigration enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security requested more than 20,000 National Guard to aid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The National Guard would be tasked with helping ICE catch fugitives as well as guard detention centers, process and transport migrants and other tasks, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post. Pentagon officials say they are looking into the request but have not yet decided on the number of troops it will send.

Homan said he is also open to using the National Guard to respond to protests in other places, if the situation on the ground resembles Los Angeles. The protests there have been limited to a few locations, with local leaders saying they did not think a federal response was necessary, but the Trump administration has painted a different picture.

It sounds as though Trump & Homan are intent on using the National Guard against Americans. This will not turn out well.

There’s a lot more in the article:

Trump plans broader use of National Guard in immigration enforcement
The White House wants the national guard to play a bigger role in immigration enforcement, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said in an interview Thursday.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/12/trump-miller-national-guard-ice

Also here:

Trump plans broader use of National Guard in immigration enforcement
The White House wants the national guard to play a bigger role in immigration enforcement, Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said in an interview Thursday.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-plans-broader-use-of-national-guard-in-immigration-enforcement/ar-AA1GBVYk

Newsweek: Gavin Newsom accuses Trump administration of spreading fake protest images

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On X, formerly Twitter, the Department of Defense’s Rapid Response account posted a video that appeared to show burning, graffitied police cars during protests in Los Angeles this week.

However, the fact-checking website Snopes said the image showed protests in Los Angeles following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

The governor’s office wrote on X on Friday: “HUGE DEVELOPMENT: An official Department of Defense account is spreading fake images—from old protests—to justify Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles. This isn’t just disinformation. It’s a propaganda campaign from the Pentagon.”

Gavin Newsom accuses Trump administration of spreading fake protest images
The president deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles in response to anti-ICE protests.

https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-trump-fake-protest-images-2085492

Atlantic: The Shame of Trump’s Parade

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Today’s events are another step in an ongoing effort to turn the U.S. military into a partisan—and personal—instrument of the president.

Today—250 years since the Continental Army officially formed to fight for the independence of the American colonies against the British monarchy—marks a milestone in President Donald Trump’s effort to politicize the U.S. military. Though they are rare, military parades have happened before in Washington, D.C. For the most part, these have been celebrations of military achievements, such as the end of a war. But today is also Trump’s birthday, and what he and his supporters have planned is a celebration of Trump himself.

A mark of a free society is that its public institutions, especially its military, represent the body politic and the freedom-enabling equal rights that structure civic life. If service members and the public begin to believe that the military is not neutral but is in fact the servant of MAGA, this will threaten the military’s legitimacy and increase the likelihood of violent conflict between the military and the public. Today’s events bring us one step closer to this disaster.

And a few lies, none of which are true:

The organizers have made it abundantly clear that today’s purpose is to directly laud Trump and his politics. In promotional materials, they tell us, “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Army has been restored to strength and readiness.” They credit his “America First agenda” for military pay increases, enlarged weapons stockpiles, new technologies, and improvements in recruitment, declaring that he has “ensured our soldiers have the tools and support they need to win on any battlefield.”

As the Trump-aggrandizing bullshit piles up:

Monica Crowley, the State Department’s chief of protocol and a former Fox News host, went on Steve Bannon’s podcast WarRoom to say that the concurrence of the U.S. Army’s anniversary and Trump’s birthday is “providential.” She called it “meant to be. Hand of God, for sure.” She added, “It is really a gift, and we want to be sure that we celebrate in a manner that is fitting, not just of this extraordinary president but of our extraordinary country.” She also expressed hope that the crowd would serenade the president with “Happy Birthday.” Clearly, Trump isn’t merely the guest of honor; he is the reason for the party.

The Shame of Trump’s Parade
Today’s events are another step in an ongoing effort to turn the U.S. military into a partisan—and personal—instrument of the president.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/06/250th-anniversary-army-parade/683162

New York Magazine: Playing Secretary — Could These Be Pete Hegseth’s Last Days in the Pentagon?

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As war looms, Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon is beset by infighting over leaks, drugs, and socks. How long will Trump stand by his man?

In the drama of Hegseth’s January confirmation hearings, it was easy to get distracted by the financial settlement for an assault allegation, by the multitudinous accounts of heavy drinking on the job, by claims of misogyny from both his mother and his sister-in-law, by the fact that Hegseth, while married with three small children, had fathered a child with a Fox News producer who was also married with small children, during which pregnancy he had slept with the woman who later accused him of assault, and thereby miss some straightforward information about his managerial experience.

Pete Hegseth had run a nonprofit called Veterans for Freedom for several years, an organization that employed fewer than 20 people, and resigned after alleged financial mismanagement nearly bankrupted the organization. He had run a group called Concerned Veterans for America, which employed around 160 people, and resigned amid allegations of misconduct and, once again, financial mismanagement.

In choosing Hegseth, Donald Trump did not choose from the large set of people who had never managed an organization, or the considerably smaller set of people who had managed an organization without incident, but from a smaller still set of people who had managed multiple bureaucracies and resigned multiple times under complex circumstances.

It’s a good read but a bit long. Click the link below to read the entire article:

Could These Be Pete Hegseth’s Last Days in the Pentagon?
archived 13 Jun 2025 19:07:18 UTC

https://archive.is/xG4FF#selection-1205.0-1209.128

Politico: Hegseth won’t commit to obeying courts on Marines in Los Angeles

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The Defense secretary said he’d comply with a Supreme Court order blocking Trump’s domestic deployment, but did not commit to the other courts.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he would obey a Supreme Court order to remove troops from Los Angeles but declined to show similar deference to other courts considering the issue.

The Pentagon chief initially deflected when asked at a House Armed Services Committee hearing whether he would abide by a court’s decision if it determined President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines was unlawful.

“What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country,” Hegseth said.

But the Defense secretary later clarified that he would obey a decision from the high court.

“We’re not here to defy a Supreme Court ruling,” he said.

The comments mirror other officials who have criticized court rulings that go against the Trump administration, often directing withering criticism at lower-court judges while vowing deference to the justices.

The troops and their commanders might need a reminder that their oath is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, not the ego of a drunk O-3 wife-beater. Soldiers can be prosecuted for following illegal orders, i.e. being ordered to ignore a legitimate decision of a circuit or appellate court. Any arrests and charges by the troops under such circumstances should be null & void.

Hegseth won’t commit to obeying courts on Marines in Los Angeles
The Defense secretary said he’d comply with a Supreme Court order blocking Trump’s domestic deployment, but did not commit to the other courts.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/12/hegseth-marines-los-angeles-00402794

Irish Star: Newsom fears for Trump’s mental state after president ‘forgets when they last spoke’ within hours

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Governor Newsom called out trump’s cognitive state after Trump appeared to mis-remember when they last spoke, telling a reporter that he spoke with the California Governor “yesterday”

Governor Newsom called out Trump’s cognitive state after Trump appeared to mis-remember when they last spoke, telling a reporter that he spoke with the California Governor “yesterday” – however Newsom responded confirming he had no contact with Trump yesterday and said he did not even receive a message or voicemail.

Newsom raised concerns on Trump’s health saying Americans should be worried that the president who is sending troops to LA to handle protests cannot remember the last time he spoke on the phone with Newsom. Trump went on to claim Newsom has caused deaths in the LA region – despite no deaths occurring during five days of protests. It comes as Newsom filed an emergency request in federal court Tuesday to block the Trump administration from using the National Guard and Marines to assist with immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Newsom also called into question Trump’s mental state after sending thousands of troops to LA without food, water and sleeping provisions as images circulated of National Guardsmen sleeping on the floor.

Newsom fears for Trump’s mental state after president ‘forgets they spoke’
Governor Newsom called out trump’s cognitive state after Trump appeared to mis-remember when they last spoke, telling a reporter that he spoke with the California Governor “yesterday”

https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/newsom-fears-trumps-mental-state-35371199

From Los Angeles to Washington, Trump leans in as commander in chief

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On one coast, military forces are arriving by the thousands to defend federal buildings and agents. On the other, they’re readying a celebration of American military might.

President Donald Trump loves displays of military force. He’s parading two very different kinds this week.

On one coast, military forces are arriving by the thousands to defend federal buildings and agents, facing off with civilians protesting the president’s immigration agenda. On the other, they’re readying a celebration of American military might in a parade held on the Army’s — and Trump’s — birthday.

…

Trump has wanted to hold a military parade in Washington since he accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to a 2017 Bastille Day parade, where troops marched down the Champs-Élysées while fighter jets flew overhead, leaving trails of red, white, and blue smoke behind them. Trump later called it “one of the greatest parades I’ve ever seen,” but aides advised him against throwing a similar affair.

Trump seems to forget that Bastille Day largely marked the end of French royalty. King Donald, too, shall pass.

‘He does love being commander in chief’: Trump leans in on the military
On one coast, military forces are arriving by the thousands to defend federal buildings and agents. On the other, they’re readying a celebration of American military might.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/11/trump-military-parade-protests-00398716

New York Post: Armed National Guard troops stand guard for ICE agents as they make immigration raids in LA

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Armed National Guard troops are accompanying immigration agents as they carry out mass deportation raids on the streets of Los Angeles.

The troops, who were mobilized by President Trump, are providing “operational security” to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after they faced attacks and threats from anti-ICE rioters, sources told The Post, which first broke the story.

It’s “in case s–t hits the fan,” said a federal law enforcement source.

… some are concerned that their presence could make the federal immigration agents an even bigger target, the first source said. “They’re showing up with Humvees and uniforms,” the source said.

Armed National Guard troops stand guard for ICE agents as they make immigration raids in LA
It’s “in case s–t hits the fan,” said a federal law enforcement source.

https://nypost.com/2025/06/10/us-news/national-guard-troops-to-join-ice-agents-on-la-immigration-raids-sources

Defense News: LA deployments to cost $134 million and last 60 days, Pentagon says

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The military’s deployment of almost 5,000 National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests will cost around $134 million and last 60 days, the Pentagon’s acting comptroller told lawmakers in a hearing Tuesday.

That funding will come from the Defense Department’s operations and maintenance budget and cover travel, housing, food and other incidental expenses, Bryn MacDonnel said at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing. Together, the description gives the clearest sense yet of the military’s bill for the administration’s controversial deployments to the city.

And it’s only “necessary” because ICE thugs insist on showing up in a militarized convoy instead of doing their raids professionally and discretely. You put on a show, you get an audience, you got what you asked for, suckers!

LA deployments to cost $134 million and last 60 days, Pentagon says
The cost estimate came during a feisty exchange as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the House on Tuesday.

https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2025/06/10/la-deployments-to-cost-134-million-and-last-60-days-pentagon-says