Pentagon Denies Claim that Directive 5240.01 Allows Troops to Use Force Against Citizens

The Pentagon issued a statement Thursday denying claims spread online that troops were authorized to use lethal force against Americans during the election. 

The Details: The false claims stemmed from an update to Directive 5240.01 issued in September. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn, and others spread the claim online. 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." 

The Directive: The update states the Secretary of Defense can 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." Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) said the directive is a reminder that if the Pentagon is backing up law enforcement in a case where there is potential use of force, it must be greenlit by the Secretary of Defense. "Defense intelligence personnel can provide intelligence, analysis, training, equipment and even weapons to civilian authorities. But they are still restricted from using force themselves in those situations" Associated Press (Lean Left bias) wrote.