Pentagon: Esper, Milley 'not aware' of Trump's church photo-op...
Senior Pentagon officials did not know ahead of time they would accompany President Trump during his heavily criticized Monday evening photo-op in front of a vandalized church, the Pentagon said...
View ArticleAir Force head calls George Floyd's death 'a national...
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein in a new memo calls the death of George Floyd a “national tragedy” and has vowed to do more to fix racial inequality in the military.In the memo, sent to...
View ArticleTrump stokes backlash with threat to use military against protesters
President Trump’s threat to deploy active-duty military to quell protests across the country has raised concerns about the appropriateness of using U.S. armed forces to bolster domestic law enforcement...
View ArticleEx-Defense official resigns from Defense Science Board, accuses Esper of...
James Miller, who served as the undersecretary of Defense for policy from 2012 to 2014, resigned from his position on the Pentagon’s science board Tuesday, accusing Secretary of Defense Mark Esper of...
View ArticleOvernight Defense: Trump's move to use military in US sparks backlash |...
Happy Tuesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I'm Ellen Mitchell, and here's your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the...
View ArticleEsper says he didn't know about plan to disperse protesters
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday that he had not been aware of plans to disperse a crowd of protesters the previous evening before President Trump walked through the area to pose for photos in...
View ArticleWarren asks Pentagon IG to probe military role in Trump's protest response
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has called on the Pentagon’s internal watchdog to investigate any role the military has played in supporting law enforcement efforts responding to protests in...
View ArticleDC National Guard asks for investigation into use of helicopter to target...
The District of Columbia National Guard has asked for an investigation into the use of a helicopter in the city to disperse crowds protesting the killing of George Floyd, officials told The Hill."Maj....
View ArticlePentagon moves 1,600 active-duty troops near DC as tensions escalate
The Pentagon announced Tuesday that it is activating active-duty units near Washington, D.C., amid escalating tensions and protests over George Floyd’s death.The Defense Department said in a statement...
View ArticlePentagon chief breaks with Trump, opposes invoking Insurrection Act
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Wednesday he does not support invoking a law that would allow President Trump to use the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement amid nationwide protests...
View ArticlePentagon, South Korea reach deal on Koreans working at military base
The U.S. and South Korea have reached a temporary cost-sharing deal to fund more than 4,000 Korean nationals who work at the U.S. Forces Korea military base, the Pentagon said Tuesday.The agreement,...
View ArticleEsper seeks to explain participation in White House photo-op
Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters Wednesday he was aware of President Trump’s destination when he accompanied him to a photo-op at a church across from the White House on Monday, a visit that...
View Article21 senators urge Pentagon against military use to curb nationwide protests
Twenty-one Democratic and independent senators on Wednesday called on the Department of Defense (DOD) not to use U.S. troops to quell the countrywide protests in response to the death of George Floyd...
View ArticleWhite House sidesteps questions about Trump's confidence in Pentagon chief
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany sidestepped questions Wednesday on whether President Trump still has confidence in Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the Pentagon chief publicly broke with...
View ArticleRepublicans stand by Esper after public break with Trump
Congressional Republicans on Wednesday stood behind Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who dramatically broke with President Trump by declaring he opposed deploying U.S. military forces to put down rioting...
View ArticleMattis denounces Trump in blistering statement on protests
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis condemned President Trump for his handling of the protests over George Floyd’s death in a fiery statement released Wednesday.“I have watched this week’s unfolding...
View ArticleEsper reverses on allowing active-duty troops to return to home bases
The Pentagon has reversed course on a move to send active-duty troops home from the Washington, D.C., region.Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told The Associated Press that the plan to send home a portion...
View ArticleOvernight Defense: Pentagon chief says he opposes invoking Insurrection Act...
Happy Wednesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I'm Rebecca Kheel, and here's your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the...
View ArticleHouse chairman presses Pentagon leaders on use of military against DC protesters
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee is calling for answers from Pentagon leaders about the use of the military in Washington, D.C., in response to protests against police violence and...
View ArticleTrump: 'I don't think we'll have to' send military to cities
President Trump on Wednesday said he doesn't think it will be necessary to send military forces to U.S. cities to quell protests sparked by the death of George Floyd."It depends. I don’t think we’ll...
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