The White House said Wednesday that a planned U.S. military training exercise called “Jade Helm 15” would not infringe upon Americans’ constitutional rights, as some conspiracy theorists have posited in recent weeks.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked to weigh in on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) request that the State Guard monitor the training exercise to ensure that Texans’ “safety, constitutional rights, private property rights and civil liberties will not be infringed.”
“I have no idea what he’s thinking,” Earnest said Wednesday in a press briefing, according to a transcript.
“I think what is clear is that I feel confident in expressing to you without having a lot of detailed knowledge of the particular exercise is that the civil liberties and constitutional rights of Americans citizens will be in no way affected by this exercise,” he added.