Esper
encourages governors to ‘dominate the battlespace’ to
put down nationwide protests
By Meghann
Myers
June 02, 2020 "Information
Clearing House"
- Defense Secretary Mark Esper compared
protests in cities across the country over the
weekend to “battlespace” in a White House call with
governors on Monday, urging leaders overwhelm protestors
to restore the peace.
More than 17,000 troops in 24
National Guard jurisdictions, at the direction of
their governors, are responding to civil unrest in
states from California to Pennsylvania following a
weekend of police standoffs with protestors as
demonstrations escalated to looting and deployment of
tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds.
“I think the sooner that you mass and dominate the
battlespace, the quicker this dissipates and we can get
back to the right normal,” Esper said during the call,
according to a
recording leaked to the New York Times.
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Esper’s comments came after multiple tweets from
President Donald Trump throughout the weekend urging
“the military" to get involved in riot response, though
so far, that has only meant Guard troops mobilized in a
state status.
Trump also said Monday that he had put Joint Chiefs
Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley “in charge," but did not
specify in what capacity. Milley was on the call, but
did not engage.
Spokespeople for Milley did not respond to requests for
comment on Monday.
“The president says he wants to dominate the streets
with National Guard, with a police presence,” Kayleigh
McEnany, White House press secretary, told reporters in
a briefing Monday, clarifying Trump’s comments on use of
the military. “What studies have shown — as Gen. Milley
noted, he was in that governors’ call — his points
pertain to the National Guard. He noted that there are
several studies that indicate when there is an
overwhelming National Guard presence, it actually
de-escalates the situation and causes less civil
unrest.”
She also characterized Milley’s role as more of an
advisory one, in line with his job description as the
senior-most military adviser to the defense secretary
and Trump.
“So Gen. Milley has really been on point talking about
the National Guard, the effectiveness, and making sure
they are utilized to great effect across the country,”
McEnany said.
Law enforcement officers from Calvert County Maryland
Sheriff's Office standing on the Ellipse, area just
south of the White House in Washington, as they watch
demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Sunday,
May 31, 2020. Floyd died after being restrained by
Minneapolis police officers. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Trump lamented the amount of time it takes to activate
units, suggesting that governors send in more troops.
“I don’t know what it is politically where you don’t
want to call out people,” he said. “They’re ready,
willing and able. They want to fight for the country. I
don’t know what it is. Someday you’ll have to explain it
to me. But it takes so long to call them up.”
He went on to name Los Angeles, specifically.
“We’re shocked that you’re not using the greatest
resource you can use. And they’re trained for this stuff
and they’re incredible,” he added. “Why you’re not
calling them up? I don’t know but you’re making a
mistake because you’re making yourself look like ― look
like fools.”
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