Tim Kaine Claims Trump is ‘Trying to Turn the American Military Against American Citizens’ and Intends to Stop Him

Senator and Hillary Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine said today that he will introduce an amendment to the annual defense policy bill seeking to block President Trump from deploying the military against “American citizens exercising their first amendment rights.”

“The President is trying to turn the American military against American citizens who are peacefully protesting on domestic soil, which they have every right to do. I’m not going to stand for it,” Kaine said.

He continued, “as an Armed Services Committee member, proud supporter of our military, father of a U.S. Marine, and Senator representing a state so closely connected to the military, I can tell you: this is not what the United States military is for.”

He claims that he “never thought we would have to use the NDAA to make clear that the U.S. military shouldn’t be used as an agent of force against American citizens who are lawfully assembling. I thought that would seem obvious to everyone. But as we take up the NDAA next week, I’m going to be pushing to ensure the President can’t treat the U.S. military as his personal palace guard to try to ward off peaceful protests.”

On Twitter, he claimed that the “American military must never be used as the President’s personal palace guard.”

The American military must never again be used as the President’s personal palace guard against peaceful protesters. https://t.co/faQA2GWBbZ

— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) June 2, 2020

He doubled down later and criticized a decision to equip soldiers with bayonets, even though it was also pointed out that they are standard issue. Kaine called the decision, wrong.

Bayonets? Unleashing the US military against peaceful protesters is WRONG, and the President must be stopped. https://t.co/5rkGClgVnE

— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) June 2, 2020