Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday denied accusations that the Trump administration was deploying 5,200 troops to the Mexican border as a political stunt to bolster Republican support for the Nov. 6 midterm elections. The total number of troops deployed at the border will be more than double the estimated 3,500 people currently marching in the caravan. According to The Wall Street Journal, there will be more troops deployed to the border than there are currently serving in Iraq and Syria. When asked by a reporter whether the deployment was a political stunt, Mattis pointed out the additional troops were a request from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “The support that we provide to the secretary of Homeland Security is tactical support based on the request from the commissioner of customs and border police,” Mattis said.

Source: Huffington Post November 01, 2018 04:30 UTC