Trump Orders DC National Guard Chief To Leave In Middle Of Inaugural Ceremony

[DonViejo]

By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published JANUARY 13, 2017, 12:10 PM EDT


In a bizarre move, Donald Trump has demanded that the commanding officer of the Washington, D.C. National Guard resign from his post in the middle of the Inauguration ceremony, even though the general will be in the middle of helping oversee the event's security, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz will be removed from his post at 12:01 p.m. on Inauguration Day, just after Trump is sworn in but before the Inaugural parade begins, according to a memo obtained by the Washington Post.

Schwartz has helped plan the security for Inauguration weekend, and he will be charged with overseeing the D.C. National Guard as well as an additional 5,000 troops sent in for the weekend. But he will have to hand over commend to an interim officer in the middle of Inauguration Day.

“The timing is extremely unusual,” Schwartz told the Washington Post on Friday. “My troops will be on the street,” he added. “I’ll see them off but I won’t be able to welcome them back to the armory.”

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/dc-national-guard-chief-removed-inauguration

[oasis]

1. Mr. Fake President, go Trump yourself!

That should be Gen. Swartz's parting words.

[BSdetect]

2. He has absolutely no authority to make such demands.

This is pure fascism.

[sarah FAILIN]

10. It is an appointed position, but..

Obama didn't appoint him till June 2008. His career has been in the District. I hope there is something else he can do.

[JHB]

39. Look at the date again. Bush appointee.

[sarah FAILIN]

45. You're right.

I missed that

[itcfish]

3. The question is

Why?

[progressoid]

4. What the fuck is going on?

[GliderGuider]

5. I didn't think I could get any more freaked out.

I was wrong.

[progressoid]

11. Option 1. He wants the National Guard to "deal" with all the protesters,

and doesn't trust the current commander.


Option 2. He and his inner circle of nazi freaks believe all the shit they spew and think the National Guard is going to stage a coup.


Option 3. ???

[neverforget]

21. Option 3. Install a loyal general for when he imposes martial law.

[coco22]

19. This is only the beginning..

much more unbelieveable shit to come I am wondering how long it will take for his base to see he doesn't give a damn about them,A lot of them know but won't admit it. For the the people who say "give him a chance"to that I say NEVER,EVER,EVER,EVER,EVER!!!

[Generic Brad]

6. He's getting ready to fire on protesters

If there was any doubt that a dictatorship has arrived, this puts a key piece in place to remove all doubts.

[progressoid]

15. Yeah,

I was typing the same thing when you replied. I'm not expecting a "peaceful transition of power".

[lapfog_1]

32. Even if the protests are peaceful

The "false flag" operatives will make sure that it is not.

That will give Trump the reason to stop the million woman march the next day... firing on them with (at the minimum) bean bags and tear gas.

[GliderGuider]

17. That's sure what it feels like.

I'm really frightened that the streets are going to flow red in DC on the 20th. And I'm a fucking Canadian living in Ottawa!
This is a waking nightmare.

[3catwoman3]

18. Got a couple of...

...rooms you'd like to rent out for the next 4 years?

[GliderGuider]

20. Odd, I'm getting a few requests like that!

I just can't understand it!

[golfguru]

31. Wear bullet-proof vests during all future protests after Jan 20.

[HoneyBadger]

34. Guess that just made my decision about which march to take my kid to

I might roll the dice with my safety, but just mine.

[cbdo2007]

8. To prevent a coup event after Trump gives his own hand written remarks.

This is genuinely scary.

[Bad Thoughts]

7. Reichstag Fire!

This looks like a setup to declare some sort of state of emergency.

[MineralMan]

9. The only thing I can think of that would cause this

is if the General said something during the preparations that Trump didn't like. Basically, this will be Trump's first act after being inaugurated. What a bizarre thing to do - fire one of the people responsible for your safety on your first day in office.

Also, what a stupid thing to do as your first official act.

[Brother Buzz]

33. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar

I might suggest Trump is dumping him simple because he can. The General was an Obama appointment, and that's all the reason he needs.

[MineralMan]

36. You could be right, but it strikes me as really odd

for some reason.

[Brother Buzz]

38. EVERYTHING this orange anus has done is really odd.

Nothing Shocks Me Anymore.

[malaise]

42. He was a Bush appointment - June 2008 n/t

[Brother Buzz]

46. And reappointed by Obama

That all Trump needed

[malaise]

47. I hear you

[Mosby]

43. He was appointed by Bush. nt

[Crunchy Frog]

50. Bush appointee. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

51. And rubber-stamped by Obama

Obama's appointments must be removed.

[Achilleaze]

12. This is some DARK SHIT

The Republican-Russian cabal is up to something waaaay dark. Waaaay evil.

[maryellen99]

23. I wonder if after 12:01 Russia invades the Baltics? Nt

[Lurks Often]

13. That is NOT what the WaPo article stated

Additionally Trump, Pence and none of the incoming administration has any authority to issue an order like this until after he is sworn in and replacing the commanding officer of the Washington DC National Guard is hardly a priority.

Who issued this order and why didn't the Washington Post report who issued the order if they had a copy of the memo relieving Gen. Schwartz of his command?


It might be related to his age as mandatory retirement for active duty Major Generals is 64 and Schwartz is a full time general in the Army National Guard.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_general_(United_States)#Retirement

[HoneyBadger]

35. That means that Obama could reappoint the General now?

Obama could reappoint all the envoys too, forcing Trump to fire them again? Which he might not do. Worth a try in my opinion.

[Lurks Often]

37. We still don't know who gave the order in the first place

(Unless something changed since my previous post)

WaPo has the memo, but doesn't say who gave the order and the White House isn't saying anything.

[onenote]

40. Obama, like his predecessors, requested that his appointees submit their resignations

He did so on November 7 -- before the election, giving his appointees (well, most of them -- there are some exceptions) until December 7 to submit their resignations (presumably effective January 20). This gives the President-elect the opportunity to decide which, if any, of the outgoing president's appointees to keep on and which to allow to go. Typically, the incoming administration makes case by case determinations. But Trump's folks seem hell-bent on just letting everyone go, without regard to whether or not it makes sense in a particular case.

https://www.chcoc.gov/content/governmentwide-moratorium-senior-executive-service-ses-qualifications-review-board-qrb-cases

[HoneyBadger]

44. So the General could just withdraw his resignation and work the full day like he wants

[onenote]

48. No. Not if he's been given a notice that he is being terminated effective 12:01.

It's a song and dance that occurs whenever there is a turnover in administrations. The outgoing administration's appointees submit letters of resignation, often with conditional language that leaves it in the hands of the incoming administration to make the ultimate decision. The incoming administration sends out letters accepting the resignations and/or giving notice that the person is relieved of their position as of the moment the new administration takes office or sometimes asking them to stay on.

I don't know whether General Schwartz submitted a letter of resignation or not nor do I know what it says. The thing that makes this situation different from previous ones is that, as I said, incoming administrations typically make case-by-case decisions (its one of the main things the transition teams do) about who to ask to stay on. My impression is that the Trumpers haven't bothered to make those case-by-case determinations.

So, the reason to be concerned is not that they've singled out this guy. It's that they haven't attempted to single out anyone with regard to whether they should or shouldn't be asked to stay on.

[HoneyBadger]

49. Too bad no one submitted their resignation effective 1/20/20

And got that accepted by Trump

[MineralMan]

14. Here's a photo of the General

Maybe Trump doesn't like his looks?

[smirkymonkey]

27. Oh, well that explains a lot!

What an asshole! (Trump, not the General)

[joshcryer]

16. They want an "incident" to happen because there will be more protesters...

...than people there to celebrate.

And an "incident" will happen, because there is enough strife caused by this divisive election that something bad is bound to happen.

If people die or are seriously injured it will only allow for further chaos and the GOP always, ALWAYS benefits from chaos and ineptitude.

[coco22]

22. Yes they do then..

They will trot out Spicer or Kellayanne but at that point it probably will be Flynn or Bannon. They will try to blame every incident on BLM,Obama and/or Hillary.

[Vinca]

24. That's bizarre, but so is a whole lot of what Trump does.

He probably intends to install one of Flynn's cronies.

[winstars]

25. He wants a different commander in charge to do??? Steve Bannon, is that you???

[Else You Are Mad]

26. Trump will not rest until...

He guts every thing that Obama has done. This is idiotic beyond belief.

[Cracklin Charlie]

29. Erasing history?

Stalin.

[atreides1]

28. Let me put this out there

Anyone living near any US military bases, notice any unusual activity taking place? Bases where combat units are stationed...

[Bonx]

53. I saw a big truck carrying three Humvees today.

[CincyDem]

30. Technically, the DC guard reports directly to the President.

So, Trump has the authority to relieve him of his post. Lots of questions about authority prior to 12:01pm next friday but the net effect is the same.

My concern is that every despot has their palace guard. A move like this leads me to believe Trump wants his own army, with no other links in the chain of command, to do his bidding.

This is going to get crazy.

[greytdemocrat]

54. Yes like Palpatine.

Good god, get a grip.

[jonno99]

41. WaPo provides a little more info - but not much...

He said his orders came from the Pentagon but that he doesn’t know who made the decision. It is unclear whether he is part of a larger class of federal workers who have been asked to leave their jobs as a new president takes office.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/commanding-general-of-dc-national-guard-to-be-removed-from-post/2017/01/13/725a0438-d99e-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html

[sdfernando]

52. So the heads of every goverment departement, most of congress and the supreme court

will be at the ignoration....perfect time for the coup, just after he's sworn in. His jackboots (personal security) arrest them all (or worse), and/or he has plants in the crowd start a riot. He calls out the national guard to restore order, declares Martial Law (across the whole US).....and we dictator herr drumpf.

I'm sure not looking forward to January 20.