Trump Had ‘Absurd’ Plan To Send 250,000 Troops To Border, Ex Defense Sec. Esper Says

Trump Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed a “ridiculous” Trump administration scheme to send 250,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border during an appearance on 60 Minutes.

“He’s behind me, and this voice talking about the caravans are coming and we need to get troops to the border, and we need a quarter-million troops,” Esper said referring to a conversation with former President Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller. “And I think he’s joking, and I turn around and look at him and these dead-pan eyes, clearly he is not joking.”

Esper responded that they didn’t have 250,000 troops to send to the border and he had to make sure no one in the administration was actually making an effort to carry out the plan.

“It’s just so absurd I can’t even consider it,” Esper said.

Esper’s episode of 60 Minutes airs on Sunday.