Trump’s Pentagon Chief Quashed Idea to Send 250,000 Troops to the Border
New York TimesOct 20, 2021
The Facts
On Wednesday, former Pres. Donald Trump said he would deploy thousands of troops currently stationed overseas to the US-Mexico border if he's reelected.
In addition, Trump vowed to reimpose and expand a travel ban from his previous term, when he barred people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Trump's obsession with the border and his instinct to use US security forces to meet domestic political goals are well-known. If it weren't for resistance from his advisors, the former president would have carried out dangerous maneuvers on the Southern Border while in office. What makes his latest proposal ominous is its popularity among Republican voters and his popularity in the Republican race.
Republican narrative
By the end of this year, Biden’s open-border policies will lead to the US being overrun by as many as 15M illegal migrants. A return to the tough border policies of the Trump administration is the only way to address the vital national security issue. Even before Trump returns to office House Republicans should do what they can to cut all funding from Biden’s failed immigration policies.
Nerd narrative
There's a 5% chance that the US will deploy troops in Mexico without the Mexican government's cooperation before 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.