In a rare move, the Pentagon has strongly refuted misinformation circulating on social media that falsely suggests U.S. troops have been authorized to use force against American citizens during the election period. The misinformation, spread by various individuals including former Trump administration national security adviser and a former presidential candidate, falsely claims that a Defense Department policy revision released in late September was intended to interfere with the presidential election.
It is important to note that the use of force by federal troops on U.S. soil against U.S. civilians is against the law, except in cases of self-defense, as outlined in the Posse Comitatus Act. The revision in question, Department of Defense Directive 5240.01, does not permit troops to use force on U.S. citizens. The Pentagon clarified that the timing of the directive's release was unrelated to the election.
The Pentagon spokesperson emphasized that the policies outlined in DoDD 5240.01 are not new and do not authorize the Department of Defense to use lethal force against U.S. citizens or individuals within the United States, contrary to the rumors circulating on social media. The update to the directive was part of the regular process of aligning language on the use of force from other policies into 5240.01, which specifically applies to defense intelligence personnel.
The directive describes the type of support that defense intelligence personnel can provide to civilian law enforcement in situations where a confrontation or lethal use of force is likely. This support includes intelligence, analysis, training, equipment, and even weapons. However, it is important to note that defense intelligence personnel are still prohibited from using force themselves in such situations.
