Former President Barack Obama has accused Donald Trump of staging a "political stunt" by involving active duty military members in the affairs of U.S. border and customs agents anticipating the arrival of a caravan of migrants that are currently making their way up from Central America.
Fox News reports that Obama made the charge while speaking at a rally benefitting the candidacy of gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in Miami, Florida, on Friday, November 2. After reminding them about some of the fear-mongering that Republicans used against his administration throughout his two terms in office, Obama encouraged supporters in attendance at the Ice Palace film studio not to feed into any of the fear tactics their red rivals may spring upon them the days leading up to the November 6 midterm election date.
The designation of some 5,200 troops to help block the potential entry of the migrants and the placement of an additional 7,000 on standby would be one such tactic -- and not one that sounds very fair to the service members who will used in the mission, said Obama.
"They're telling you the existential threat to America is a bunch of poor refugees 1,000 miles away. They're even taking our brave troops away from their families for a political stunt at the border. And the men and women of our military deserve better than that," he told the crowd of Florida voters.