The Department of Defense (DOD) is facing significant backlash after releasing DOD directive 5240.01, which took effect on September 27. The Biden-Harris administration’s latest DoD directive has been accused of authorizing the U.S. military to use lethal force against American citizens.
The directive gives the Pentagon authority to approve “assistance in responding with assets with potential for lethality, or any situation in which it is reasonably foreseeable that providing the requested assistance may involve the use of force that is likely to result in lethal force, including death or serious bodily injury.”
The DoD directive also “includes all support to civilian law enforcement officials in situations where a confrontation between civilian law enforcement and civilian individuals or groups is reasonably anticipated.”
Former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently spoke out against the Pentagon directive, saying, “The Biden-Harris administration has done something two weeks ago that has never been done in American history, which is to send a directive to the Pentagon changing the law to make it legal for the U.S. military to be used to use lethal force against American citizens on American soil.”
Kennedy added, “Under this directive, it will become legal for the U.S. military to shoot and kill Americans who engage in political protest because they disagree with policies in the White House.”
Popular podcast host Joe Rogan criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s updated policy during a recent podcast episode, saying, “That is a terrifying thing to push through. For the first time in U.S. history, giving the military the ability to shoot and kill American citizens.”
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Media personality Larry Jones tweeted, “Pentagon issues Federal Directive allowing military to use ‘lethal force’ against Americans. The timing of Federal Directive 5240.01 is interesting in light of the upcoming election and the government’s narrative about right-wing extremists being the ‘biggest threat’ to US national security.”
The “CubanOnlyTrump” X account shared a picture and video of DoD Director 5240.01, describing the controversial Pentagon policy as an “October Surprise.” He tweeted, “Joe Biden/Kamala Harris have just pushed through DoD Directive 5240.01 giving the Pentagon power for the first time in history to use lethal force to kill Americans on U.S.soil who protest government policies. They’re literally Hitler! America’s Hitler! Panic.”
Following significant pushback on social media, the Pentagon denied accusations that lethal force could be used on U.S. citizens. In a Thursday statement to The Associated Press, Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough said, “The policies concerning the use of force by DOD addressed in DoDD 5240.01 are not new, and do not authorize the DOD to use lethal force against U.S. citizens or people located inside the United States, contrary to rumors and rhetoric circulating on social media.”
