Already looking ahead to the turmoil his re-election could cause, Donald Trump and his allies are reportedly circling an idea to invoke the Insurrection Act on his first day in office, deploying the military to act as domestic law enforcement.
According to a Washington Post report on Sunday, the drafting of such plans has largely been “unofficially outsourced” thus far to a coalition of right-wing think tanks working under the title “Project 2025.” It was identified as an immediate priority for the hypothetical resurrected Trump administration, internal communications obtained by the newspaper showed.
In response to questions from the Post, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung provided a statement: “President Trump is focused on crushing his opponents in the primary election and then going on to beat Crooked Joe Biden,” he said. “President Trump has always stood for law and order, and protecting the Constitution.”
They would have to do something about Posse Comitatus first.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/posse-comitatus-revisited-use-military-civil-law-enforcement
“The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which removed the military from regular civil law enforcement, was enacted in response to the abuses resulting from the extensive use of the army in civil law enforcement during the Civil War and the Reconstruction. The Act allows legislated exceptions.”
That “something” might just turn out to be as simple as “ignore it”.
I mean, I guess, they could try… but then they would be delivering unlawful orders to the military. That likely won’t go the way they think it will go.
I actually suspect some of that went on last time, it’s not like we’d hear about it.
The military has been deployed against the civilian populace before, re the Ohio State massacre. This would be on a whole other level, but there is precedent.
That was the National Guard, not the Army proper. A little different. Granted, not if you’re on the other side of the rifles it’s not.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings
True enough, but if we’re being a bit pedantic anyway you actually said military, not army. The national guard are absolutely military. They even occasionally get deployed overseas.
Edit: also my bad referring to it as “Ohio State”. It was Kent State University which is in Ohio
It’s cool, I knew what you meant! :)
What difference would it even make? People in body armor with guns and training and tanks will effectively subjugate a population no matter what label you apply to them.
Because the US Army is not allowed to operate inside the United States.
The National Guard can be called out by the Governor.
Like fascists are gonna give a shit. Neither is the military; their oath to the Constitution doesn’t mean shit; all that will affect them is the consequences for not following orders and they don’t want to get kicked out or court-martialed, so they’ll do what they’re told regardless of what it is.
I think you’ll be surprised, we had this discussion already when Trump was in office.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/11/20/memo-to-trump-the-military-will-not-follow-illegal-orders/
Because, as we’ve seen, Trump would totes follow the Rule of Law…then again, who needs silly things like Laws when you become the self-declared Lord Emperor after “fixing” America.
Why do you think Tuberville is deliberately crippling the officer corps?
My personal theory is that I’m taking him at his word. He disagrees with military policy of facilitating transfers of personnel in support of reproductive rights.
But a lot of his blocks are racist as well.
“abuses… during the Civil War and the Reconstruction”, as if there wasn’t a bunch of states that not only rebelled, but refused to enforce Federal law after the civil war.
Cute that you think Trump believes he’s beholden to the law.
Oh, I know he doesn’t. The SOLDIERS on the other hand…
https://theconversation.com/why-soldiers-might-disobey-the-presidents-orders-to-occupy-us-cities-140402
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/01/08/if-trump-orders-war-crimes-military-will-face-an-impossible-choice/
You better be damn well confident they won’t obey his orders.
Oh, you can’t COUNT on anything, but I would hope enough of the people in charge would just ignore his bullshit.
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