Secretary of Defense Mark Esper is under fire after telling the nation’s governors they need to “dominate the battlespace,” referring to the American cities that are scenes of protests that have gripped the nation now for seven days and nights. He also called for a return to “the right normal.”
Esper (photo, right), who has only been the head of the DoD since late July, made his disturbing remarks on the same video conference call held by President Donald Trump earlier Monday. That call was characterized as “unhinged” by one listener.
“I think the sooner that you mass and dominate the battlespace, the quicker this dissipates and we can get back to the right normal,” Esper told the governors, as The Washington Post reports. “We need to dominate the battlespace.”
Sec. Esper was criticizing the governors for not making broader use of the National Guard.
Many online expressed outrage.
Vox National security reporter Alex Ward offered this alternative: