‘I want to go in,” said the commander in chief. “We need to show them force.” He was disturbed by events that, he said, “make us look weak,” “stupid” and “pathetic.” These hawkish comments to Defense Secretary Mark Esper did not refer to sending U.S. forces into combat overseas, but to subduing rioters in Portland, Ore.
Why violate conservative principles of federalism, under which state and local officials handle lawless mobs? Why not allow governors, who are accountable to their states’ voters, to decide whether to mobilize National Guard units if law-enforcement capabilities prove inadequate?
For President Trump, the answer was simple. “I’m running for reelection and we have cities burning down. . . . We have to go and do something. . . . You need to shoot that person [that throws a rock at you].” This is Donald Trump simpliciter. Issue: Riots undercutting his political prospects. Answer: The Pentagon must use force to set things right.
