**Heads up: There's busloads of troops entering the WH complex right now**

[Dennis Donovan]

Last edited Fri Jun 5, 2020, 08:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Link to tweet

Patsy Widakuswara @pwidakuswara

At least 6 busloads of soldiers were dropped off near the @WhiteHouse. No one would tell me anything (unit, numbers, orders) except that they are coming in not going out. A soldier started speaking to me and was reprimanded.

Embedded video

6:25 PM - Jun 5, 2020 · Washington, DC

On edit: Apparently there was confusion regarding the tweets that I included for context from previous days (included to illustrate an escalation) so I've removed them.

Here's another Tweet from Jim Acosta of CNN:

Link to tweet

Jim Acosta ✔@Acosta

Seeing a large number of US military members coming in on busses just outside EEOB by WH. Some tell us they are rotating in for weekend duty.

View image on Twitter

6:24 PM - Jun 5, 2020

So he's being told it's a rotation. Let's see if the same number of troops leave.

On edit again. I want to also point out the Mayor Bowser said the troops are no longer necessary since the protests have been peaceful for several days now. Yet, they expanded the perimeter around the WH and increased the DOJ and military presence.

Why is the WH turning into a DC version of the Green Zone?

See also: NYT: White House increasingly resembles a Washington version of the Green Zone

[Hekate]

1. Kick

[BigmanPigman]

2. This is going to be a fun weekend...

[2naSalit]

3. Ruh roh...

[leftieNanner]

4. Oh Lordy!

[sakabatou]

5. Trump must be scared or he's going to do something horrid. Or both.

[sarisataka]

6. Only one of those

Have today's date. And that one says they were dropped near by, nothing indicating they are going into the WH

[msongs]

14. everything on twitter is true all the time nt

[LanternWaste]

35. Hence the reason you give yourself credibility.

[42bambi]

27. This is all for the fake presidents reality TV shows benefit ... all show, all the time.

[BrightKnight]

68. That would be my guess. nt

[LanternWaste]

33. Actors going to a picnic...

[dewsgirl]

7. OMG

[Renew Deal]

8. It's to protect him from the riot in his mind.

[dem4decades]

9. Do these unmarked soldiers remind anyone of the green men invading Ukraine?

No markings, no evidence, no responsibility for actions.

[pazzyanne]

92. Sounds like "fearless leader" has been talking to puppet master putin again. nt

[Newest Reality]

10. FORTRESS WHITE HOUSE!

Too bad they are not there to take back the White House from the Fascist dictator and his regime of dullard sycophants. It is clear that this rogue tyrant has turned on the American people.

[Alex4Martinez]

11. K&R (nt)

[Tech]

12. It's time for him to surrender

[fleur-de-lisa]

13. Bunkie Boo Boo is ascairt.

[milestogo]

16. This.

[patphil]

15. My concern is they'll attempt to create a situation that validates this strong military presence.

Trump is sinking, and he knows it.
He needs something to buoy up his sinking ship and save his re-election.
Some large scale rioting and looting with protestors standing off against the military will, in his mind, make him look like a strong, law and order president.
The worst thing that can happen is nothing.
If there is no trouble, the whole thing looks ridiculous.

I expect a lot of agent provocateurs to infiltrate the protestors and bring in the needed violence.

[EndlessWire]

54. Someone called for a million protesters to show up at the WH

on Saturday. Trump probably won't even be there. But, he'll see it.

[FuzzyRabbit]

76. "My concern is they'll attempt to create a situation that validates this strong military presence."

Perhaps a "Reichstag fire" to justify the troop buildup?

[Captain Zero]

106. Maybe part of the plan to stay even if he loses

The election ??

[sunonmars]

17. I'm surprised he's not Marine One'd his ass and flew to Camp David.

[Jarqui]

18. I fear for the protesters in Washington

Trump will pick a fight and kill some of them - labeling them as Antifa or something racially stupid.

They're bummed out with the Bunker scared President label.

So having armed military kick the snot out of unarmed protesters is going to show Amurika how grate a man Trump is and how he's taking action to make Amurika Grate Agin,. .. (so their shallow minds go )

[cayugafalls]

19. "to keep the peace" Really? Military brought in to keep the peace?

When has that ever been the case? People with guns escalate violence.

This could be a bad weekend.

[sab390]

100. We had a saying in the 60's

Fighting for peace is like fucking for chastity. There were some great ones. A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. My favorite was knock the little jockeys off the rich people's lawns.

[OhZone]

20. What now?!

You know, they should be there to arrest the traitor not protect him from imaginary threats.

[Hassler]

21. It sounds like Bunker Boi needs to do another inspection.

[Thekaspervote]

22. Tweety is afraid of the big march planned for tomorrow

[procon]

23. Are these soldiers active duty military or the

National Guard? Is this even legal? Not that it matters because the Republicans aren't going to make a peep.

[Mme. Defarge]

24. Are the coming or going?

[TeamPooka]

25. Trump showing us his scared coward face.

[Another Jackalope]

26. Festung Weise Haus... nt

[dhol82]

31. Erbebende Festung!

[Stuart G]

28. Klaatu barada nikto....from "The Day the Earth Stood Still"

[EndlessWire]

79. Damn, this is the only one I understand! n/t

[Karadeniz]

29. Paranoid schizophrenia.

[niyad]

30. According to the second video, 200-250 Military Police are now deployed in DC to "keep the

peace". What the ever- loving fuck?????????

Since when does the USmilitary do this ????

Somebody mentioned that posse commitatus does not apply in DC.


Malevolent MURDERER'S reign of terror has begun?????? Because we KNOW that this will not end well.

[Thekaspervote]

91. I don't think it does since DC is not a state

[LudwigPastorius]

95. Getting familiar with the "battlespace", for when they are ordered too...

prop up Trump? In his parlance, maybe it's an "audition", if you will.


Trump has already laid the groundwork for contesting the election results in November. (Tweeting that the election itself will be "illegitimate".) And, one of his closest associates for the past 13 years said he will never go peacefully.

[Stuart G]

32. "What we've got here is failure to communicate." -Cool Hand Luke, 1967

[lastlib]

34. Remember Kent State!!

These scenes are about to be played out again!

[saidsimplesimon]

43. NO, do not give rumpie

an excuse to use violence. Defeat the GOP at the polls in November, it is a price they must pay.

[pazzyanne]

93. Like it was yesterday.

I have never fully recovered from that, never.

[Soxfan58]

36. Military Coup

???????

[The Mouth]

37. Maybe a coup

they'd follow Mattis

[A HERETIC I AM]

46. No they won't.

They'll follow orders from their commanders, providing those orders are legal.

[rocktivity]

38. "Their presence is meant to create the impression

that the White House is under siege from domestic terrorists."

So are they there to PROTECT the White House -- or escort Team Trump out?


rocktivity

[orwell]

39. Trumpen SS...

...Shitshow Troopers?

...The Liars Green Line?

...Trumpocalypse Now?

[Auggie]

40. It's a set-up. Boogaloo boys will start violence; military will target protesters

[malaise]

41. He wants to pretend that he's under attack

He's a fucking idiot

[chia]

62. Bingo. This is all for the optics - WH under siege from antifa, commies, Dems, hell, let's

add Hillary too while we're at it.

And the base will suck it up and scream for the militia

[spanone]

42. Are they carrying out an orange, heavy guy?

[bronxiteforever]

44. Kick.

[dalton99a]

45. Totally inadequate. What Trump needs is tanks and machine guns positioned around the perimeter

AND land mines

AND beautiful guard towers

[Stuart G]

49. And what about the ........"REALLY BIG BOMBS?"

[Buns_of_Fire]

55. Yeah, tactical nukes in Lafayette Park -- THAT'LL show 'em! nt

[dalton99a]

56. Ok, the president needs BIG protection all around

[Stuart G]

58. Great Picture...thanks for posting...Yea, that is what Trump needs..K and R your picture..

[sprinkleeninow]

89. and a moat...

[I_UndergroundPanther]

114. A moat filled with rabid alligators!!

[Flaleftist]

97. Would you be at all surprised if tanks showed up tomorrow?

[niyad]

99. Kiki am only surprised that they are not there yet. Despite the Pentagon telling der feuerteufel

that the DC streets camN't take the weight.

[BlueIdaho]

47. You know what Americans don't want to see?

A tin pot dick tater and his militia shitting on the White House lawn.

[A HERETIC I AM]

48. The protestors need to all get lawn chairs and set up a perimeter a half block away from them, ....

and just sit down and watch.

Silently.

Just sit down as if they are at an outdoor concert, not say a word, not a chant, nothing.

[Scalded Nun]

50. There haven't been that many troops running around DC

Since the original 'The Day the Earth Stood Still".

[scarletwoman]

51. Could we please get a link to a reputable news source instead of tweets?

Twitter is not a news source. One tweet is dated June 1, one is dated June 3.

There was another thread on DU today about how Sec. of Defense Esper was sending most active duty military home today, leaving behind just a couple hundred troops.

[chia]

59. These are reputable sources tweeting information. They're plenty valid:

One is from Edward Luce, Associate Editor, Financial Times

One is Keith Boykin, from CNN

One is Patsy Widakuswara, Sr. White House Correspondent VOA news

[scarletwoman]

64. Well, that may be, but one is from June 1, and one from June 3. Plus, the real troop story is here:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/05/politics/esper-washington-troops-back-to-base/index.html

[chia]

69. I'll grant you that on the dates - good eye - but in general Twitter is invaluable for fast info,

although I definitely check who's tweeting and whether they seem credible witnesses or are known, credible sources. A lot of journalists use Twitter, so please don't rule it out as a source, but even good journalists can get things wrong so getting corroboration information is always a good thing too.

[Dennis Donovan]

70. From the linked article

On Thursday, Esper ordered about 700 of the 1,600 active duty troops who were brought to the Washington region on Monday back to Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

700 out of 1600 isn't "most".

And Twitter is a platform which News Agencies disseminate their stories. It's as valid a news aggregate as the television is.

Cronkite passed 11 years ago, unfortunately.

[scarletwoman]

74. That was Thursday. "Friday's order to the New York-based troops removes

...almost all the active duty presence brought in to bolster law enforcement."

[Dennis Donovan]

60. The top tweet is from this afternoon

This is the source - she works for Voice of America:


More from Jim Acosta of CNN:

Link to tweet

I included the earlier tweets for context.

[scarletwoman]

72. "Some tell us they are rotating in for weekend duty." That makes sense, doesn't it?

It doesn't sound like an escalation to get all worked up over.

Don't get me wrong, I think all of it is disgusting and scary and bad, I just dislike what seems like unnecessary additional scare-mongering.

[Dennis Donovan]

77. I'd rather pay attention during a potential coup

You call it scare mongering. I call it being alert.

[scarletwoman]

78. I absolutely agree with paying attention. All I'm saying is that I think paying attention

needs to rely on accurate and dispassionately factual information.

[Dennis Donovan]

80. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say

When I read something on DU or Twitter, I verify it. I google it. I thought everyone did?

[scarletwoman]

87. That's what I did with your OP. I'm not on Twitter, so I look for news sources elsewhere.

I'm truly sorry if I seem to be picking on you - please allow me to apologize. I think you're a valuable DUer who posts lots of great stuff, and I'm very glad to have you here.

It's just that when I started reading this thread and seeing so many posts with speculations unmoored from any facts, I felt compelled to say something.

[Alex4Martinez]

94. Many Tweets include links to articles...

And unlike Facebook, you don't need an account to read the feed or search for topics.

[LeftInTX]

105. I can't access twitter on my phone without an account

I got a new phone and I'm too lazy to hunt down my twitter password..so when I try to access one of the DU threads, I can't

[Alex4Martinez]

108. Ah, on a phone I can see that it's different experience.

The world of passwords gets more and more annoying.

I'm old enough to remember how one simple password without numbers or special characters was all you needed for email and a couple other accounts.

Now it's become nearly impossible to keep track of it all and god forbid you enter the wrong password three times, then you have to create a new one and keep track of that.

Yikes!

[Dennis Donovan]

104. Thank you for your kind words

All of this is frightening. There's no reason for the WH to still have the expanded perimeter or expanded presence of as many armed personnel since the protests have been largely peaceful (w/ the exception of when the cops pop off and beat the peaceful protesters).

As Peter Baker of the NYT described the situation, they're "Green Zoning" the area around the WH. Why are they fortifying it? Why does it appear they're girding for a battle?

[Alex4Martinez]

81. Here are two fairly recent/current stories. And yes, there are conflicting stories/articles

Both articles are from today, and interesting for different reasons.

https://money.yahoo.com/exclusive-leaked-document-reveals-details-of-federal-law-enforcement-patrolling-washington-amid-protests-154138680.html

https://www.npr.org/local/305/2020/06/05/870877297/the-white-house-and-lafayette-park-went-from-public-square-to-veritable-fortress

[lindysalsagal]

52. Um, they've all gotta be fed, bedded, bathroomed, WTF???

Did they set up temporary tents for servicing all these troops?

And why aren't the dems screaming and yelling?

[saidsimplesimon]

53. Dear friends in the media,

you can do better. You know what I mean, stand up and stop giving the ugly, fat fuck air time. (forgive my lapse of judgment on use of obscenities).

[left-of-center2012]

61. I saw only 2 links on Google about this

Both linked only to posts on DU.

[bottomofthehill]

63. shift change, they are working 12 hour shifts

[Dennis Donovan]

65. Doesn't appear to be that routine though given the WH correspondents commenting on it

...as if it's an unusual event.

[bottomofthehill]

71. Was there Tue And Wed

while the build up was going on now there are so many more, but i am guessing the shift changes have remained

[japple]

66. Why do all of these twitter posts have different dates ranging from 6/1 to 6/5. I don't

pretend to understand how twitter works. Are these re-posts or replies?

[Dennis Donovan]

75. They were included for context

I removed them because it caused confusion.

[coti]

67. The mayor needs to bring the police to them and question them. nt

[George II]

73. Manly man with doll hands is scared shitless!

[saidsimplesimon]

82. Putin is laughing.

The rump has fulfilled his dreams of domination.

[cwydro]

83. Tangeranus is skeered.

Bless his stone cold heart.

[C Moon]

84. Trump and co. are scared.

[Dream Girl]

85. Twumpy is ascared!

[SergeStorms]

86. Is Bunker Boy even in the White House this weekend?

I'm sure he must be off on a golf weekend somewhere.

?resize=1200,630&quality=65

[Squidly]

107. Hahaha

His Depends must be leaking!!!

[c-rational]

88. I think someone wants a fight, and may manufacture one if needed. Reichstag fire anyone.

[Joinfortmill]

90. WTF?

[enid602]

96. There coming to take me away, he he . . .

Hopefully a good number of the men going to the White House are wearing little white coats.

[Cha]

98. BLOTUS is SCARED OUT of his.. I'd say "mind" but he had NONE.

[Grokenstein]

101. Instead of building a giant fence around the WH

...can't we just put Tiny Toadstool in a cage?

[BrightKnight]

102. Mr. Tump, tear down this wall. nt

[Blue Owl]

103. Bunker Baby go boom boom

n/t

[bluedigger]

109. The Trump Organization sticks to the family playbook - The Godfather.

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

110. K & R

[Nitram]

111. Dump is afraid of the American people. Cowering in his bunker. I hope he has a cyanide pill.

[lillypaddle]

112. This is too funny

Link to tweet

?s=20

[samsingh]

113. Are they there to arrest the president?