DOD Policy Keeps Defense Leaders Safe From Trump’s Twitter Wrath

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing, for his first rally stop in Cleveland, Ohio, from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on November 5, 2018. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo credit sh... US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing, for his first rally stop in Cleveland, Ohio, from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on November 5, 2018. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

For months, the DOD has been quietly instituting a policy to keep defense leaders away from the press and safely out of President Donald Trump’s sight, according to a Wednesday Defense One report.

Only one senior military leader and one civilian leader can appear at “non-government” events — ranging from interviews to panels to conferences — per day.

“You and I both know what this is: an attempt to minimize the department’s profile to the President,” a former senior military official told Defense One. “Fewer speakers means fewer headlines means fewer angry tweets from the Lincoln bedroom.”

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. This is obviously the policy of “Mad Dog” Mattis. He continues to serve the country by being a filter between the orange shithead and the military.

    His acquiescence to the stupid deployment of troops to the border is a good example. He went along with the stupidity because he knows the troops won’t actually get involved in anything other than some photo-ops, but it keeps the shithead from trying to take personal charge of them.

  2. Honest to God. Instead of working to oust the unstable, demented fool in the WH they instead move to protect themselves from angry tweets…and we used to be the most powerful country in the world. What the hell have we become?

  3. “the DOD has been quietly instituting a policy to keep defense leaders away from the press and safely out of President Donald Trump’s sight”

    …this whole admission is just … sad!

  4. what would you suggest they do? A military coup?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

9 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for sysprog Avatar for eldonlazar Avatar for sconosciuto Avatar for ignoreland Avatar for hoagie Avatar for benthere Avatar for pshah Avatar for dannydorko Avatar for erik_t Avatar for the_loan_arranger Avatar for maleka Avatar for hallowseve31 Avatar for rucleare Avatar for communistagronomist

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: