Axios reports:
President Trump said Friday there are no plans to have troops shoot at the caravan of Central American migrants approaching the U.S.-Mexico border. When asked if he promises troops won’t shoot, Trump said, “Well, I hope they won’t.”
Why it matters: Trump claimed Thursday troops deployed to the south border would shoot at migrants if they threw rocks, but many military experts have been claiming such action would violate the military’s rules of engagement.
Bloomberg reports:
Trump said Friday that soldiers sent to fortify the U.S. border with Mexico won’t shoot migrants if they throw rocks at Americans, a reversal from remarks he made a day earlier. “I didn’t say shoot. I didn’t say shoot. But they do that with us, they’re going to be arrested for a long time.”
Trump indicated on Thursday that he had authorized the military to shoot migrants who throw rocks at U.S. officials. “They want to throw rocks are our military? Our military fights back. I told them, ‘consider it a rifle,”’ Trump said after remarks on immigration at the White House.
President Trump walks back suggestion that military should shoot migrants who throw rocks https://t.co/nwiMfJUvsF pic.twitter.com/c08d9eUoYK
— The Hill (@thehill) November 2, 2018
Asked about new @ABC News/WaPo poll finding 49% believe he encourages politically motivated violence with the way he speaks, Pres. Trump tells @karentravers, “You’re creating violence by your question…A lot of the reporters are creating violence by not writing the truth.” pic.twitter.com/pm4YI4VTao
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) November 2, 2018