The Trump administration is famous for bad ideas and at this point, the public would be forgiven for asking whether this President is actually determined to one-up himself on a weekly basis when it comes to making terrible decisions both with regard to domestic and foreign policy.
If that is indeed the goal, then Trump stands a good chance of delivering his crowning achievement in stupidity by sending the U.S. military to America’s southern border to confront a caravan of Central American migrants.
This is such a terrible idea that back when he first floated it on October 20, we suggested that it was unlikely to happen based on how inherently dangerous it is to pit professional, armed soldiers against thousands of migrants determined to cross the U.S. border. Here’s what we said ten days ago:
If that caravan makes it to America’s doorstep and Trump does send in the military to seal off the border, it is highly likely that somebody (and probably several somebodies) will end up getting shot by accident. It would likely turn into a scene straight out of Hungary in 2015, and suffice to say that would be a PR nightmare for the administration.
The Hungary comment was meant to covey something about what these border clashes will probably look like, but it goes beyond that. Trump and some members of the GOP have attempted to convince voters that George Soros is funding the caravan and Soros’s “disagreements” with Viktor Orbán over immigration have been making headlines for years. Last week, Soros was of course targeted in the series of mail bombs sent to prominent Democrats and also to CNN.
Despite the terrible optics, Trump continued to rail against “globalists” following the attempted mail bombings and the massacre in Pittsburgh – everyone knows “globalists” is just dog-whistling for anti-Semitism.
Fast forward to Monday and Trump was at it again on Twitter. “Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border”, Trump tweeted, again without any evidence to support the accusation that nefarious criminals are “mixed in” with migrants.
“Please go back, you will not be admitted into the United States unless you go through the legal process”, he continued, before calling the caravan “an invasion of our Country” and warning the migrants that “our Military is waiting for you!”
It’s difficult to communicate how insane this is, and unfortunately, America has become so numb to Trump’s rantings that it no longer strikes us as odd that a sitting President is characterizing immigrants as “invaders” and threatening them with the U.S. military.
Well, on Monday afternoon, at a press conference, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy told reporters that by the end of this week, the DoD will deploy some 5,200 troops to the border.
Asked whether those soldiers will armed, O’Shaughnessy said this:
In case it (still) isn’t clear enough, Donald Trump is on the verge of ordering the U.S. military to fire on unarmed asylum seekers hoping to legally enter the United States. His tweet this morning either demonstrates a profound ignorance as to how asylum seekers legally enter the country or else is evidence that he doesn’t really care because to him, all immigrants are illegal immigrants.
Hopefully, the U.S. military will simply refuse to obey Trump if he orders the migrants shot, otherwise this has the potential to turn into one of the darkest chapters in American history.
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‘I’ll Bring Out The Military’: Is Trump Hoping For A Border Clash With Migrant Caravan?
The first mother and child shot at the border by the military will be on the cover of Time Magazine.
p.s. The Pittsburgh massacre shooter was so far right in the right-wing white supremacy cohort, he called Trump a “globalist.”
As a conservative Republican and a patriotic American I am beyond appalled, saddened, disgusted, angered, and sickened by what I have heard and seen with regard to the people looking for a better life. We are better than this and all decent Americans should take a stand and demand that these people are treated with respect and dignity. I have faith in our military and border patrol to do the right thing. Congress needs to step up and find the best solution to help these people achieve success, prosperity and happiness. Immigrants made this country better and i think they will continue to. We need to help other countries eliminate corruption, provide security, provide better education and economic opportunites. So that people do not need to leave their homes on dangerous journeys and risk their lives for potential happiness. And we need to help those who need help and not turn our backs on those in need. It is a delicate balance and I believe in laws but we are all humans who deserve respect and opportunity. I don’t have the answers but together America does. May God bless the people on their journey and may God bless America.
I have heard enough of trump’s bullshsit and bluster to recognize that his rhetoric is playing to his base. But Heisenberg’s speculation that trump might order a shoot-to-kill policy is way over the top.