In yet another example of the troops turning on Donald Trump, DC National Guard members confirmed that the White House is lying when it claims tear gas was not used to disperse protesters so that Trump could stage a photo-op. An officer even slammed the gross violation of civil rights.
As Trump spoke in the Rose Garden and threatened to use military force against American citizens, loud pops could be heard in the background as police targeted peaceful protesters with tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber bullets to clear the area so that Trump could walk over to St. John’s Episcopal Church for a photo-op that has been widely condemned.
The White House has since denied that tear gas was used against the protesters. Of course, using tear gas against civilian populations is a violation of international law.
But Politico reports that many DC National Guard members did not feel right about being used to suppress protests.
Many Guardsmen said they felt uncomfortable with the way they were used to handle the unrest because demonstrators lumped them in with the police. They felt that while they swore an oath to uphold the Constitution, their presence at times intimidated Americans from expressing their opinions and even escalated the tension.”
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
One National Guard soldier told the publication that tear gas was used.
“I’ve been tear-gassed before,” the soldier said. “I was there the night before when we got tear-gassed, there was tear gas there.”
Another member of the National Guard, an officer, expressed disgust over the incident and slammed Trump for violating civil rights so he could get his photo-op.
“As a military officer, what I saw was more or less really f*cked up,” he said. “The crowd was loud but peaceful, and at no point did I feel in danger, and I was standing right there in the front of the line. A lot of us are still struggling to process this, but in a lot of ways, I believe I saw civil rights being violated in order for a photo op. I’m here to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and what I just saw goes against my oath and to see everyone try to cover up what really happened. What I saw was just absolutely wrong.”
So Trump lied about the tear gas and he lied about the protesters. They were peaceful, therefore there was no justification for the heavy-handed tactics used by law enforcement to clear Lafayette Square that day. And his decision to use the National Guard against protesters has caused division and unease among the ranks.
The out-of-state National Guard units have since been sent home, and the DC National Guard is standing down. But the damage has already been done. Americans have less trust in the troops and the troops are turning against the president. If he ever tries to use them against American citizens again, he could end up finding himself hiding in a bunker from the military, too.
Featured image via screen capture
Like what you see here? Join the discussion on Facebook over at Americans For Sanity!
