Special forces were in place near the White House this week as protests broke out in Lafayette Park over the death of George Floyd.Kyle Rempfer/Army Times
ABC News: Questions arise over Special Forces guarding Donald Trump from protests
"I hate the optics of it," retired Army Special Forces Col. Robert Wilson said.
On Wednesday night, after five days of at-times violent confrontations between police and thousands joining protests near the White House, a group of U.S. Army special operations soldiers for the first time fell into formation to face off with the angry crowd.
Many immediately noticed the arrowhead patches of the Army's Special Forces on the left sleeves of the unarmed, but baton-carrying Utah National Guard troops in multicam uniforms, who joined the security perimeter with a myriad of law enforcement officers and wondered why they were there -- and whether they should be there at all.
"I'm kind of horrified by seeing the junta-looking Guard guys around D.C. I hate the optics of it," retired Army Special Forces Col. Robert Wilson told ABC News Thursday.
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WNU Editor: Some do not like the optics of Special Forces deployed near the White House. But Green Beret, Lt. Col. James Gavrilis, makes an interesting point .... "Why put SF guys on the line around the White House? Well, they're a little older and more seasoned guys, who are actually going to deescalate situations." Thankfully, calm has returned to Washington DC, and we are not going to find out if being a little older and more seasoned can deescalate a serious situation.
