Biden Authorizes Pentagon To Send 3,000 Reservists To Europe

President Joe Biden issued an order on Thursday that will allow the Pentagon to call up to 3,000 military reservists for deployment to Europe.

The order released by the White House says the president determined it is “necessary to augment” U.S. forces — which The Washington Post reported as about 80,000 troops — who are on a mission to deter further Russian aggression just days after the war in Ukraine surpassed the 500-day mark.

Up to 450 of the troops authorized for activation under Biden’s order can be pulled from the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) — which includes service members who are nearing the end of their enlistment contracts and are no longer required to attend regular drills and training.

“These authorities will enable the department to better support and sustain its enhanced presence and level of operations,” said Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director for operations on the Joint Staff.

He also said the move “reaffirms the unwavering support and commitment to the defense of NATO’s eastern flank in wake of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine.”

The Biden administration previously ordered extra service members to Eastern Europe just before Russia invaded Ukraine in February of last year.

Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said Biden’s new order unlocks the ability to call on National Guard or reserve forces to support Operation Atlantic Resolve and have them “be entitled to the same kind of benefits as their active duty counterparts.”

Biden insisted at the outset of the conflict that he would not send troops into Ukraine to fight Russian forces, but the United States has sent tens of billions of dollars in aid to help with the defensive effort.

The president’s order comes at the end of a NATO summit in Vilnius, where Biden said the U.S. and its allies are “doing everything we can” to support Ukraine. However, Biden told CNN that the war in Ukraine needs to end before Ukraine could be brought into the alliance.

The U.S. most recently sent cluster bombs to Ukraine, which the Pentagon said on Thursday had just arrived in the country. Biden said he chose to give Ukraine these munitions, which are banned by more than 100 countries over concerns about the danger they pose to civilians, because the defenders are running out of ammunition.

“The main thing is they either have the weapons to stop the Russians now from their — keeping them from stopping the Ukrainian offensive through these areas, or they don’t. And I think they needed them,” Biden told CNN.

DeSantis’ Bet To Win The Money Race: No Spam, No Tricks

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is betting his campaign that a more ethical approach to fundraising will build donor trust and help the GOP out-raise Democrats in the long run.

DeSantis’ team says it is staying away from the tricks and gimmicks that are a staple of political fundraising in both political parties, according to The New York Times. The Florida Republican’s presidential campaign has pledged to avoid spammy and irritating fundraising tactics, such as desperate pleas and fake deadlines.

To reinforce that message, the DeSantis campaign headquarters in Tallahassee has a wall devoted to tens of thousands of small-dollar donors. The first name and last initial of each person who has contributed to the DeSantis campaign is written on the wall in blue, red, or black script.

“We want our staff to look at that wall, remember who supports us, to remember why we’re here,” DeSantis campaign manager Generra Peck told the Times.

The Democratic Party fundraising machine, which rests on its online platform ActBlue, has long held an advantage over the GOP. Democrats typically have deeper pockets that can translate to more advertising and better awareness. The Republican Party’s answer to ActBlue, a platform called WinRed, was built 15 years later and has not yet helped the GOP match Democratic fundraising.

Former President Donald Trump is the most successful online fundraiser the Republican Party has ever had, according to the Times. Much of Trump’s success can be attributed to fundraising tactics that the DeSantis campaign has now sworn off.

The DeSantis campaign believes that tactics that Trump and numerous other politicians across the political spectrum have embraced have hurt fundraising as small-dollar donors become weary from constant pleas for money.

These types of tactics include things like setting the default for online donations as “recurring donations” so donations are made every month when the donor only believes that they are making a one-time donation, according to a separate report from The Times. Those who gave had to “wade through a fine-print disclaimer and manually uncheck a box to opt out.”

The DeSantis team is betting that a more measured approach will lead to long-term gains and help Republicans cut into the money advantage held by Democrats.

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