Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Trump’s Pentagon chief quashed idea to send 250,000 troops to Mexico border
Seattle Times ^ | 19 October 2021 | DAVID E. SANGER, Eric Schmitt and Michael D. Shear The New York Times

Posted on 10/19/2021 10:33:25 PM PDT by blueplum

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s defense secretary thought the idea was outrageous.

In spring 2020, Mark Esper, the Defense secretary, was alarmed to learn of an idea under discussion at a top military command and at the Department of Homeland Security to send as many as 250,000 troops — more than half the active U.S. Army, and a sixth of all American forces — to the southern border...It is not clear whether it was officials in Homeland Security or the Pentagon who concluded that a quarter of a million troops would be required....

...Around the same time that officials considered the huge deployment to the U.S. side of the border with Mexico, Trump also pressed his top aides to send forces into Mexico itself to hunt drug cartels, much like U.S. commandos have tracked and killed terrorists in Afghanistan or Pakistan, the officials said.

Trump hesitated only after aides suggested that to most of the world, military raids inside Mexico could look like the United States was committing an act of war...

(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: aliens; borderpatrol; cartels; esper; fakenews; nationalsecurity; tds; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last
why would it be an act of war if the cartel is operating outside of Mexican authority? Had even half of Trump's ideas been implemented, we wouldn't be hearing about ghost flights in the middle of the night to hide the number of illegals being deposited around the country the same as Zero did - because there wouldn't be any!
1 posted on 10/19/2021 10:33:26 PM PDT by blueplum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: blueplum

My God,

Using the US Military to protect the USA! What an utterly crazy idea! /s


2 posted on 10/19/2021 10:43:11 PM PDT by MNJohnnie (They would have abandon leftism to achieve sanity. Freeper Olog-hai)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

Don’t believe all this sh**.


3 posted on 10/19/2021 10:47:18 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sacajaweau

I hope it is true


4 posted on 10/19/2021 10:52:33 PM PDT by Az Joe ("Scratch a Liberal, and a Fascist bleeds")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

bttt


5 posted on 10/19/2021 10:55:01 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

Trump hesitated only after aides suggested that to most of the world, military raids inside Mexico could look like the United States was committing an act of war...
***Uhh, it would look like the US is committed to the War on Drugs and the War on Terror.

These ideas sound just fine to me.


6 posted on 10/19/2021 10:55:11 PM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

Sending troops would be a bad idea. We would end of spending billions of dollars and at the end of the day the cartels would survive. Plus, Border Patrol agents and U.S citizens living near the border would be targeted by the cartels.

The U.S. will not do what is actually necessary to win a war. We won’t completely destroy the enemy.


7 posted on 10/19/2021 10:59:50 PM PDT by 98charlie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum
Sounds like one of those off the cuff conversations...Wouldn't it be nice if we could send 250,000 troops to Mexico and get rid of these cartels once and for all.

Fake News!!

8 posted on 10/19/2021 11:04:09 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

Too bad Trump did not have the balls to order 250,000 troops to the border and fire HIS defense secretary if they refused or undermined his authority.


9 posted on 10/19/2021 11:05:53 PM PDT by Reno89519 (FJB. Respect America, Embrace America, Buy American, Hire American.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

I’d settle for 150,000.


10 posted on 10/19/2021 11:07:35 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> --- )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sacajaweau

Trump didn’t come up with the number, or the alligators in a moat idea, but whoever came up with it originally, I think the alligators were pretty popular !


11 posted on 10/19/2021 11:21:17 PM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you... " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017) )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

Black Jack Pershing went into Mexico chasing Pancho Villa. We didn’t catch him, but nobody much complained about the effort. . But that was then this is now.


12 posted on 10/19/2021 11:26:52 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard ( Resist the narrative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

We couldn’t have troops away that long; they would fall behind on their diversity training, and the diversity and inclusion trainers would be very upset.


13 posted on 10/19/2021 11:35:04 PM PDT by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

The writer acts as if Having discussions and processing ideas is a new concept.


14 posted on 10/20/2021 12:00:02 AM PDT by HollyB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

But why aren’t Republican governors on the border sending their National Guard??


15 posted on 10/20/2021 1:09:21 AM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fso301
But why aren’t Republican governors on the border sending their National Guard??

Why do cucks cuck?

16 posted on 10/20/2021 2:24:23 AM PDT by ArcadeQuarters (Remember the 2020 backstabbers. No more RINOs ever!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MNJohnnie

Trump from the beginning never got rid of the disease surrounding him


17 posted on 10/20/2021 2:27:57 AM PDT by ronnie raygun (Tell them what they want to hear with sincerity and do what is necessary )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: blueplum

War with Mexico??

President Trump should have hired out the State of Texas as a mercenary force to give them a@@ kicking #2. We’ve been there, done that. And Mexico is still not getting their cannon. Lol


18 posted on 10/20/2021 2:59:35 AM PDT by BiglyCommentary
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ronnie raygun
Trump from the beginning never got rid of the disease surrounding him

True statement. Possibly his biggest failure. Comes from him not being a politician and not completely understanding just how bad the snakes in his own tent were. Hell, I knew they were snakes but I didn't know exactly how horrible they really were.

19 posted on 10/20/2021 3:11:16 AM PDT by CAluvdubya (<---has now left CA for NV, where God/guns have not been outlawed! She's done and he's won!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: CAluvdubya

I think we were all absolutely shocked at how infested with Deep State / Obama parasites Washington actually is


20 posted on 10/20/2021 3:13:02 AM PDT by atc23 (The Matriarchal Society we embrace has led to masks and mandates and the cult of "safety")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-38 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson