Topline
Former President Donald Trump consulted Defense Secretary Mark Esper in 2020 about secretly launching a missile strike on Mexico to “destroy the drug labs,” Esper claims in his upcoming memoir, the New York Times reported Thursday.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and President Donald Trump at the James Brady Press Briefing Room at … [+]
Key Facts
Trump, who was displeased by drug trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border, asked at least twice about “quietly” shooting Patriot missiles—which are surface-to-air weapons—into Mexico and then denying responsibility, Esper claims in his upcoming memoir A Sacred Oath, according to the Times.
As the 2020 presidential election approached, Esper was concerned that Trump might use the military to intervene in his favor, and warned others in the Department of Defense to look out for “unusual” orders from the White House, he reportedly wrote.
These revelations come three days after Axios published material from the book, including claims that Trump wanted to subdue Black Lives Matter protesters by shooting them in the legs.
A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Key Background
Prior to his 2019 confirmation as defense secretary, Esper was secretary of the Army, a position he took after serving as vice president for government relations for the military contractor Raytheon. As defense secretary, Esper helped set early plans for the U.S.’s troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Though initially criticized for being overly compliant, Esper and Trump’s relationship began to fray in 2020. In his first public rupture with Trump, Esper joined Attorney General William Barr and Joint Chiefs Chair Mark Milley in opposing Trump’s demand that 10,000 troops be deployed to subdue demonstrators protesting police violence. Esper also banned the display of Confederate flags at military bases and reportedly shot down a proposal to send up to 250,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, which would have been the largest military maneuver within the U.S. since the Civil War. In November 2020, two days after Trump lost for reelection to Joe Biden, Trump fired Esper by tweet and replaced him with Christopher Miller, until then director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
Crucial Quote
“He is an unprincipled person who, given his self-interest, should not be in the position of public service,” Esper says of Trump in his memoir, quoted by the New York Times.
Tangent
In conversations with national security leaders, Trump repeatedly suggested that nuclear bombs be used to prevent hurricanes, Axios reported in 2019, citing unnamed sources. Trump’s suggestion to “nuke” the storms in order to stop them from making landfall in the U.S. was politely brushed off by officials, according to Axios.
Further Reading
“N.Y. Judge Refuses To Stay Trump’s $10,000-A-Day Fine For Contempt” (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharysmith/2022/05/05/trump-wanted-to-secretly-launch-missiles-into-mexico-to-blow-up-drug-labs-ex-defense-secretary-reportedly-claims/