Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And the Trump administration has ordered about seven hundred Marines
(00:02):
to join the National Guard in LA after protests this
weekend over mass deportation policies turned violent. Marines will not
participate in law enforcement activities unless the President invokes the
Insurrection Act, which would allow them to suppress violence, according
to two defense officials granted anonymity to discuss internal operations,
joining me now in the Kawa Common Spirit of Health hotline.
Defense reporter for Politico, Jack Detch he wrote an article
(00:25):
about this, actually wrote about the National Guard and then
the Marines were caught up as well. Jack, Good morning.
What more do we know now? I believe the Marines
are there. I've seen pictures of them laying in places
because they don't have actual places to stay and sort
of set up. What more do we know at this point?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, Marty, this has been a haphazard deployment. Those Marines
coming in overnight from twenty nine Palms just to the
northwest of Los Angeles. Now many of them in place,
many of the National guardsmen in place, at least three
hundred as of Monday. We're probably expecting more as of Tuesday,
with four thousand and guardsmen now ordered to active duty
(01:02):
federalized by President Donald Trump against the wishes of California
Governor Gavin Newsom. So a lot going on, but there's
a lot of confusion even within the Trump administration about
what these orders will mean for these troops, the rules
of engagement. These are marines, of course, that have some
ability to conduct crowd control, but of course that's not
(01:23):
what they're trained for. They're trained to go and fight
foreign wars on behalf of the United States, as ordered
by the commander in chief. So it becomes a challenge
now when you throw all of these different forces into
the mix and against the will of the California government.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
At this point, you know, and this is two times
now that the President has superseded the governor, first with
the National Guard and then with the Marines. I realized
that that there are our military folk are only obeying orders.
But is there any sense of discomfort, especially around the Pentagon,
regarding the Marines being on American soil? And again, this
is not this is not out of the norm in
the sense that you know, we've had our troops deployed
(02:01):
before on American soil, but the last time was nineteen
sixty five, for at least a different reason than what
it seems this time.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah. So the last time, of course, the National Guard
was federalized against the will of sitting governor was of course,
when Lyndon Johnson federalized the National Garden in Alabama to
protect the protesters marching over the Selma Bridge. So we
haven't seen something of that nature in quite some time.
We have heard, of course, umblings of bringing troops on
(02:31):
active duty to support in these types of missions. We
do see, of course, troops supporting the border mission that's
been a constant since twenty seventeen. But using them in
this nature certainly is a departure, and it raises questions
about what they're doing and how this mission could expand.
Of course we haven't seen the president or the Defense
(02:51):
Department moved to invoke the Insurrection Act, but that would
be a significant change. We've already seen significant changes in
the posture of these troops.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
A lot of what we see today in the news.
It really does depend the outlet you consume. I've seen
outlets that have shown what's going on. I've seen others saying, look,
this isn't as bad as people make it. Obviously. Karen Bass,
the mayor Governor Newsom says we've got this under control.
Police have it in control. That I've heard they say
at certain times they've been a little overwhelmed. What is
the reality? Is it too much by half National Guard?
(03:20):
Maybe okay, but having again our own armed forces on
the ground, there is it a little over the top.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Well, it brings into question, Marty, just the role of
these troops. Right. You already have the National Guard serving
in support to law enforcement, performing logistics, making sure they
have what they need, sort of sitting in a backstaying
capacity to help them out, and now you put the
Marines on top of that. So it just raises questions
(03:47):
about what they're doing. Is this overkill for what's needed?
Of course, there may be a need for crowd control
and de escalation. We haven't seen the protests, at least
at this point elevate to a citywide conflagration, something that
may actually call in the need for an advanced crowd
control capability. These marines not armed with tear gas or
(04:10):
any sort of capability for crowd control. So it's just
raising a lot of questions and red flags among some
around the pentagonum what exactly are they doing and does
this further distract as the building has moved away from
the concept of fighting for and wars more towards the
domestic border and domestic issues. Are you now moving the
(04:30):
department in a one avy away from its stated priorities.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
It looks like he's going to testify on Capitol Hill today.
That might have already been set up, but I saw
peek heg Seth's going to be talking today. I'm sure
we'll get questions about the deployment. Do you have any
idea what else you if he was there because of this,
or he's already scheduled to appear.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
He's already been scheduled to appear. This is about the
Defense Department's budget. Of course, that's that's been delayed. We're
expecting it by the end of the month. So peg
Seth is going to face a lot of questions about
why that budget isn't there yet, why it doesn't seem
to be an advancement over inflation. But of course, now
with these protests front and center, and the deployment of
(05:07):
American troops front and center, I expect him and Dan Kane,
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff, to
field questions about that, as well as all of these
issues in Trump World that the DoD has been caught
up in recently, including that guitar Air Force one jet
that's been accepted by the Defense Department. But we'll need
to undergo perhaps billions of dollars of upgrades. So there's
(05:28):
going to be a lot to talk about on Capitol
Hill today.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Final question for you. I know Saturday celebration along the
National Mall is going to be taking place to parade.
Do you sense have you heard if there's any discomfort
from Pentagon brass about the parade, the optics of it,
the timing, especially in light of what's going on in
LA and with a marine presence in LA.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, the timing is going to be very interesting. If
these protests do indeed escalate and we see the military
get involved in some way, shape or form, that would
be sort of a very alarm in split screen for
Pentagon officials. Of course, there's already some frustration about the
use of these troops, these sixty six hundred troops that
(06:08):
will be descending on the National Law, will be taking
tanks down Constitution Avenue. We've already heard from even Republican
allies as the President, like Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of
the Armed Services Committee, that this is a waste of
money and prefer them to be doing something else. So
we already hear these rumblings of discontent even within the
GOP Caucus and parts of the Pentagon. That might get
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Louder, reporting Defense Reporter four Politico, it's Jack Detch, Thank you,
my friend,
And the Trump administration has ordered about seven hundred Marines
(00:02):
to join the National Guard in LA after protests this
weekend over mass deportation policies turned violent. Marines will not
participate in law enforcement activities unless the President invokes the
Insurrection Act, which would allow them to suppress violence, according
to two defense officials granted anonymity to discuss internal operations,
joining me now in the Kawa Common Spirit of Health hotline.
Defense reporter for Politico, Jack Detch he wrote an article
(00:25):
about this, actually wrote about the National Guard and then
the Marines were caught up as well. Jack, Good morning.
What more do we know now? I believe the Marines
are there. I've seen pictures of them laying in places
because they don't have actual places to stay and sort
of set up. What more do we know at this point?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yeah, Marty, this has been a haphazard deployment. Those Marines
coming in overnight from twenty nine Palms just to the
northwest of Los Angeles. Now many of them in place,
many of the National guardsmen in place, at least three
hundred as of Monday. We're probably expecting more as of Tuesday,
with four thousand and guardsmen now ordered to active duty
(01:02):
federalized by President Donald Trump against the wishes of California
Governor Gavin Newsom. So a lot going on, but there's
a lot of confusion even within the Trump administration about
what these orders will mean for these troops, the rules
of engagement. These are marines, of course, that have some
ability to conduct crowd control, but of course that's not
(01:23):
what they're trained for. They're trained to go and fight
foreign wars on behalf of the United States, as ordered
by the commander in chief. So it becomes a challenge
now when you throw all of these different forces into
the mix and against the will of the California government.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
At this point, you know, and this is two times
now that the President has superseded the governor, first with
the National Guard and then with the Marines. I realized
that that there are our military folk are only obeying orders.
But is there any sense of discomfort, especially around the Pentagon,
regarding the Marines being on American soil? And again, this
is not this is not out of the norm in
the sense that you know, we've had our troops deployed
(02:01):
before on American soil, but the last time was nineteen
sixty five, for at least a different reason than what
it seems this time.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah. So the last time, of course, the National Guard
was federalized against the will of sitting governor was of course,
when Lyndon Johnson federalized the National Garden in Alabama to
protect the protesters marching over the Selma Bridge. So we
haven't seen something of that nature in quite some time.
We have heard, of course, umblings of bringing troops on
(02:31):
active duty to support in these types of missions. We
do see, of course, troops supporting the border mission that's
been a constant since twenty seventeen. But using them in
this nature certainly is a departure, and it raises questions
about what they're doing and how this mission could expand.
Of course we haven't seen the president or the Defense
(02:51):
Department moved to invoke the Insurrection Act, but that would
be a significant change. We've already seen significant changes in
the posture of these troops.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
A lot of what we see today in the news.
It really does depend the outlet you consume. I've seen
outlets that have shown what's going on. I've seen others saying, look,
this isn't as bad as people make it. Obviously. Karen Bass,
the mayor Governor Newsom says we've got this under control.
Police have it in control. That I've heard they say
at certain times they've been a little overwhelmed. What is
the reality? Is it too much by half National Guard?
(03:20):
Maybe okay, but having again our own armed forces on
the ground, there is it a little over the top.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Well, it brings into question, Marty, just the role of
these troops. Right. You already have the National Guard serving
in support to law enforcement, performing logistics, making sure they
have what they need, sort of sitting in a backstaying
capacity to help them out, and now you put the
Marines on top of that. So it just raises questions
(03:47):
about what they're doing. Is this overkill for what's needed?
Of course, there may be a need for crowd control
and de escalation. We haven't seen the protests, at least
at this point elevate to a citywide conflagration, something that
may actually call in the need for an advanced crowd
control capability. These marines not armed with tear gas or
(04:10):
any sort of capability for crowd control. So it's just
raising a lot of questions and red flags among some
around the pentagonum what exactly are they doing and does
this further distract as the building has moved away from
the concept of fighting for and wars more towards the
domestic border and domestic issues. Are you now moving the
(04:30):
department in a one avy away from its stated priorities.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
It looks like he's going to testify on Capitol Hill today.
That might have already been set up, but I saw
peek heg Seth's going to be talking today. I'm sure
we'll get questions about the deployment. Do you have any
idea what else you if he was there because of this,
or he's already scheduled to appear.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
He's already been scheduled to appear. This is about the
Defense Department's budget. Of course, that's that's been delayed. We're
expecting it by the end of the month. So peg
Seth is going to face a lot of questions about
why that budget isn't there yet, why it doesn't seem
to be an advancement over inflation. But of course, now
with these protests front and center, and the deployment of
(05:07):
American troops front and center, I expect him and Dan Kane,
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff, to
field questions about that, as well as all of these
issues in Trump World that the DoD has been caught
up in recently, including that guitar Air Force one jet
that's been accepted by the Defense Department. But we'll need
to undergo perhaps billions of dollars of upgrades. So there's
(05:28):
going to be a lot to talk about on Capitol
Hill today.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Final question for you. I know Saturday celebration along the
National Mall is going to be taking place to parade.
Do you sense have you heard if there's any discomfort
from Pentagon brass about the parade, the optics of it,
the timing, especially in light of what's going on in
LA and with a marine presence in LA.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, the timing is going to be very interesting. If
these protests do indeed escalate and we see the military
get involved in some way, shape or form, that would
be sort of a very alarm in split screen for
Pentagon officials. Of course, there's already some frustration about the
use of these troops, these sixty six hundred troops that
(06:08):
will be descending on the National Law, will be taking
tanks down Constitution Avenue. We've already heard from even Republican
allies as the President, like Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of
the Armed Services Committee, that this is a waste of
money and prefer them to be doing something else. So
we already hear these rumblings of discontent even within the
GOP Caucus and parts of the Pentagon. That might get
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Louder, reporting Defense Reporter four Politico, it's Jack Detch, Thank you,
my friend,
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