According to Pentagon sources, President Donald Trump’s move to deploy a vast number of military staff to the U.S.-Mexico border came as a surprise to officials of the Department of Defense, and many of them were convinced that the decision was no more than a political stunt and a waste of money.
According to sources close to the Operation Faithful Patriot, the plan came directly from Trump’s office. This order is known in Pentagon as National Command Authority, meaning it could only be given out by the President himself or Secretary of Defense James Mattis.
The sources asserted that even if Mattis had been granted authority for the operation, he would need to be given a green light by the President. But ultimately, the decision to move forward with the southern-border deployment was unexpected by military planners.
Speaking to Newsweek on condition of anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak to the media, the four U.S. military sources said senior leaders within the Pentagon had derided the deployment not only as a significant waste of taxpayer dollars but as running counter to military readiness, but that a minority lauded the Trump administration’s hardline crackdown on immigration.
“The support that we provide to the Department of Homeland Security is practical support based on the request from the commissioner of customs and border police. We don’t do stunts in this department,” Mattis responded when asked if the number of troops was on the U.S.-Mexico border was purely for show.
Pentagon officials did not reply to Newsweek requests for comment.
Many service members within the higher echelon seemed to agree that the decision to deploy thousands of troops to the border was a politically motivated tactic, with the Trump administration ordering the deployment less than a week before the November 6 midterm elections, the sources suggested.
“There is no practical or tactical reason for this to happen,” one source told Newsweek.
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