WASHINGTON — Army Gen. Mark Milley, the nation's top military officer, said Thursday he was wrong to accompany President Donald Trump on a walk through Lafayette Square that ended in a photo op at a church. He said his presence “created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”...
Pentagon-Trump Clash Breaks Open Over Military and Protests
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s Pentagon chief shot down his idea of using troops to quell protests across the United States, then reversed course on pulling part of the 82nd Airborne Division off standby in an extraordinary clash between the U.S. military and its commander in chief. Both Trump and...
Ex-Defense Chief Mattis Rips Trump for Dividing Americans
WASHINGTON — In an extraordinary rebuke, former defense secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday denounced President Donald Trump's heavy-handed use of military force to quell protests near the White House and said his former boss was setting up a “false conflict" between the military and civilian society. “I have watched this...
Esper Opposes Using Insurrection Act for Law Enforcement
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he opposes use of the Insurrection Act, which would allow President Donald Trump to use active-duty military forces for law enforcement duties in containing street protests. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Esper said active-duty troops in a law enforcement role should...
US Cities Gird for More Violence as Trump Decries 'Lowlifes'
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday turned up the pressure on governors to quell the violence set off by the death of George Floyd, demanding New York call up the National Guard to stop the “lowlifes and losers.” As more demonstrations began taking shape around the country during the...
US Cities Erupt in More Violence Amid Threats From Trump
WASHINGTON — American cities erupted in violence and destruction in a seventh straight night of unrest, with several police officers shot or run over, amid boasts and threats from President Donald Trump to send in troops to “dominate the streets.” In New York, nonviolent protests Monday night were punctuated by...
Trump Slams Governors as 'Weak,' Urges Crackdown on Protests
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday derided many governors as “weak” and demanded tougher crackdowns on burning and stealing among some demonstrations in the aftermath of another night of violent protests in dozens of American cities. Trump spoke to governors on a video teleconference that also included law enforcement and...
Trump Took Shelter in White House Bunker as Protests Raged
WASHINGTON — Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker on Friday night as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades. Trump spent nearly an hour in the bunker, which was designed for use in...
Twitter Adds ‘Glorifying Violence’ Warning to Trump Tweet
WASHINGTON — Twitter has added a warning to one of President Donald Trump's tweets about protests in Minneapolis, saying it violated the platform's rules about “glorifying violence." Trump, a prolific Twitter user, has been at war with the company since earlier this week, when it for the first time applied fact...
Trump Preparing Order Targeting Social Media Protections
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday aimed at curbing liability protections for social media companies, two days after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets. Trump had threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering on Wednesday, lashing...