You are a Washington, DC reporter for an international online news
service. Today at just before 12 noon the White House press office sent
you a text message advising of a major announcement. You and other
correspondents arrive at the White House press briefing room at about
5 pm. A press officer announces that the President will be addressing
the nation on network TV and then taking questions from reporters. A
few minutes later, President Donald Trump steps to the podium and
reads the statement that follows.
Good afternoon my fellow Americans.
For many years, we and our allies around the globe have been engaged
in a difficult war against the scourge of terrorism. Here at home and
abroad we have weathered terrorist attacks that have resulted in the
murder of thousands of our citizens. Although the courts have not
always cooperated with me, I have worked hard from allowing into the
country suspicious people from certain Muslim nations.
I took office and found we as a nation were not doing nearly enough to
stop Islamic terrorists from harming the good American people. Today,
the situation is much better. ISIS no longer holds any territory, for
instance.
As you well know, we have not spared efforts or resources in this
struggle against those who would harm us and our valued allies. We
have been able to hit our enemy hard and often. High-value terrorists
have been successfully targeted. Against lots of opposition, I continue
to push for better security at our border with Mexico.
Still, we must acknowledge that global terrorism is far from vanquished.
In the last few years, we witnessed the dangerous rise of the Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS.
This is a savage terrorist group that cynically garbs itself in the trappings
of Islam. These terrorists have no legitimate ties to Islam. Everywhere
they have managed to wrest control of territory, people have been
brutalized, terrorized and even enslaved.
As I said, we have managed to take back the territory that ISIS once
held. Still, it represents a grave threat to the legitimate governments of
the Middle East and the democratic aspirations of many millions in the
region. There are other terrorist groups scattered around the globe.
These brutal thugs also represent an intolerable menace to Americans
here and abroad.
In response, we and our allies have launched an armed response that
has emphasized vigorous and sustained aerial assaults.
Russia has been a particularly valuable ally in the fight. We expect to
work even more closely with President Putin in wiping out the
terrorists.
Again, our armed attacks have had an effect. Yet, it has become clear
that these actions are not enough to halt ISIS. Indeed, having suffered
battlefield setbacks, these terrorists have launched a series of horrific
attacks on civilians in Europe and Turkey and in other nations. We don’t
have to live in fear of these cowards, but surely we must do more to
destroy them.
I have seen to it that American military spending, which was cut under
Obama, is now at adequate levels. The 2019 defense budget is $716
billion.
So, after long and careful consultation with my closest advisers, I have
come to the decision that we must commit substantial numbers of
ground troops.
Putting boots on the ground is a risky proposition. It means we will be
very deeply involved in the conflict. I had questioned the wisdom of
doing this to put it simply, I was wrong to believe this war could be won
with just the commitment of air power.
At the same time, I have decided that given our present troop strength
and the challenge we face, it is necessary to enact military conscription,
which most of us know as the draft.
Let me be clear: I do not have the authority to enact compulsory
military service. Both houses of Congress must first pass legislation,
which I would then sign.
Let me be equally clear that for many years an all-volunteer military has
more than adequately served our national and global defense needs.
But times have changed.
There is no escaping the fact that we quickly must increase our military
strength. As our enemies fighting forces expand, we would be
irresponsible if we did not follow suit.
I have already consulted with Congressional leaders, and they are ready
to push for legislation, which I will sign without delay. It is heartening
to see us push aside partisan differences in the interest of national
security.
Honestly, I had expected the Democrats to be an obstacle. Generally,
they don’t want a strong America. But, hey, they surprised me this
time.
My full expectation is that some three months from today we will
begin a lottery style draft process. Once legislation is enacted, all
Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 will be eligible for
compulsory service.
I will ask Congress to support my decision to include women
in providing service to our country.
The lottery will involve the random selection of birthdates for all 365
days of the year. Those whose birthdates are selected first will also
be the first drafted. Some Americans will be either permanently or
temporarily exempted from service.
Now, I’m not naïve enough to believe that this will be popular with
all Americans. Historically, there has always been some opposition
to compulsory military enlistment.
I expect some critics will bring up the fact that I was medically unfit
for service during Vietnam. I had bone spurs in my heel. Those with
medical problems, of course, would be exempt.
One of the things we don’t talk about is that less advantaged young
people have been carrying most of the load in defending our nation.
This has long troubled me, and I’m sure many of you listening tonight
would agree this is inherently unjust. We all have a duty to see that
our precious homeland is staunchly defended.
As we all know, the United States continues to endure an immigration
crisis.
This is a situation that has been greatly worsened by Mexico’s
unwillingness and limited ability to patrol its border with Guatemala.
Several weeks ago, officials of my government got the Mexicans to do
a better job of securing their southern border.
But, the Mexicans have not done a very good job. We are still being
flooded with Central Americans claiming political asylum.
I intend to get our border under control and secure. This is something
the American people want.
As a result, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and I
have agreed to deploy 2,500 American troops to the MexicoGuatemala border.
They will get the job done by keeping out all the thousands of Central
Americans. You know, they have played us for fools, the Central
Americans have. They are not political refugees. Instead, they just
want to get into the U.S ahead of the many legitimate refugees.
These troops will be deployed starting in two weeks. I know this will
put an end to the scam Central Americans have been running.
*The President has finished reading his statement and now takes
questions from reporters in a press conference. Be sure to
distinguish when possible between what Trump said in his
statement and in response to a question.
Q: How long will this draft last and how many Americans will be
called up?
A: We don’t have an endpoint defined yet. I can tell you that I would
like to see at least 150,000 men and women inducted into the
Armed Forces.
Q: Where will they be deployed?
A: There are some key hotspots—Yemen, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq
and along the Syrian border—that require our intervention. We will
be talking with our regional allies about other places we can lend a
hand. It’s important to emphasize that groups such as ISIS still mean
to destroy us and other Middle East governments. They are a potent
enemy that requires an even more potent response.
Q: How do you reconcile the fact that the United States has been
engaged in large scale troop withdrawals with this sudden
reversal?
A: Well, as President you become aware of the need to respond to
changing conditions. It’s clear that the situation regarding terrorism is
not the same as it was two or three years ago. We face a much more
threatening situation, and we need to respond appropriately.
Q: The Vietnam War draft nearly tore apart this country. Hundreds of
thousands of Americans actively resisted being drafted, and some
even fled the country. What happens if this same scenario plays out
this time?
A: We all understand that the Vietnam War was unpopular because it
just wasn’t clear what crucial national security matters were at stake. I
remember thinking that myself at the time. But all these terrorists,
you’d have to be a fool to not see that they want to destroy us. We
are fighting to preserve our way of life. I know young Americans will
respond to the call to defend our great nation.
If, however, those qualified to serve to take it upon themselves to
ignore the law, they will face lots of legal sanctions, including
prison time and substantial fines.
Mandatory military service is going to be the law of the land. Make no
mistake. Naturally, every American has the right to peaceful dissent,
and this case is no different.
Keep in mind, too, that we have the Selective Service System that
requires all men here legally to register within 30 days of their
18th birthday.
Q: Why are you including women in the draft, and what will their
role be?
A: Women should be full members of our society. I know that is often
not true. But they ought not to be singled out for discrimination or
special treatment. I envision they will take on full combat roles.
Q: You have ordered a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Will you be
reversing that decision now.
A: Well, yeah. I talked to my generals, and they convinced me that now
is not the time to take troops out of Afghanistan. The Taliban, we’ve
been negotiating them. But, you know, we need to negotiate from a
position of strength, so we’ll be deploying troops there.
Q: You are launching this draft effort right in the middle of a busy
legislative time, with many of your own initiatives being debated. Is it
realistic to think that Congress will focus on getting the legislation
passed?
A: I’m not naïve about the challenges the timing presents. To repeat, I
have solid assurances that Congress will put to one side our partisan
differences in the vital interests of America.
Q: We have had military drafts only in times of full-scale war. Do you
mean to convey we are in a major war?
A: Yes, that is a large part of what this is about. We are fighting for our
way of life and the peace and stability of our allies. Plainly, it is not
possible to have a formal declaration of war. We are not dealing with
a nation.
Q: What about America’s allies? Are they going to be stepping up their
response?
A: Let me be candid. I have been disappointed at the timidity some
of our friends have shown in the face of the growing terrorist threat.
We will continue our diplomatic efforts to gain more robust
supports.
Q: Which countries do you mean?
A: I don’t want to name names just now. You know I have told the
NATO nations I’m not satisfied they’ve carried their fair share of
the financial load. That’s no secret.
Q: What is the cost of all of this?
A: We don’t know yet. I can tell you that no price is too great to pay.
Let’s see what we need to do specifically, and we’ll find the money.
Let’s see what happens.
Q. Do you believe the United States is doing all it can to infiltrate
and disrupt ISIS?
A. Excellent question. What you suggest is part of an ongoing effort. In
time we will see the results of that effort.
Q. Mexico has a 500-mile border with Guatemala. It is a dangerous
region, filled by armed smugglers and gang members. Will our troops
be authorized to use lethal force?
A. You bet they will. The place is crawling with bad hombres. If they
make the foolish mistake of attacking our troops they will pay with
their lives.
Q. Won’t the deployment of U.S. forces on Mexican soil create an
anti-American backlash in Mexico?
A. I don’t care if it does. The Mexican president and I worked out a
deal. If it causes trouble in Mexico, that’s his problem.
Q. How long will American troops in Mexico?
A. For as long as it takes. There’s no end date.
Thank you very much. God Bless America.
In reviewing the information, determine what are the most
important facts and assertions. You will note many interesting
quotes.
By no means have all questions and doubts been addressed here.
Your job is to tell readers what is known at this time, and what is
not known. The question and answer segment, or press conference,
elicited some interesting comments.
What should your lead say? This is a major story with significant
historical meaning.
*Remember, the draft is not a done deal. Congress must enact the
enabling legislation. So, be sure your lead does not go beyond the
President announcing his intent to begin military conscription.
Be sure your story makes that clear. You should include his claim
that Congressional leaders support him. However, you must balance
that with what Pelosi said.
Also, take note of what the President said at the end regarding
a formal declaration of war.
Feel free to incorporate any information not contained
here. However, do no inject personal opinions.
In your guise as an online reporter, treat this as breaking news
that will be posted on your news site within the next 90 minutes.
A few minutes after the press conference, you receive an e-mail from
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It reads:
“Our party has always supported a robust response to global
terrorism. But to enact a military draft so hastily may not be the best
course.
We need to consider other options, such as enhancing military pay
which could attract more volunteers. I look forward to discussions
with Mr. Trump. I also am alarmed that the President intends to
send combat forces to Mexico. He has not consulted with Congress
about this. There must be a discussion before any decision is taken.”
Here is a link to a helpful site that provides background on the draft.
https://www.sss.gov/About/History-And-Records/Background-OfSelective-Service
**Write a news story of between 580 and 640 words. ***