Thread by @DanLamothe

Yesterday, the Pentagon disclosed it's shifting another $1.5B from military programs to fund Trump's border wall. But where will that money come from? Answers are scarce. Here's what we know:

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

On the steps of the Pentagon, @ActingSecDef said some of the money will come from an Afghan war account, and that savings there had been found. There is no shortage of waste in the Afghan war campaign, but that money ostensibly props up the Afghan military the U.S. supports. 2/

You might say to yourself, "Self, how will that work? That seems like something the American people should know." At least, that's what a journalist and people in government oversight do. 3/

The excellent @robertburnsAP had a good story in which anonymous sources said about $600M will come from the Afghan fund. Other money will come from Air Force accounts and retirement accounts, he reported. 4/

Asked the Pentagon yesterday to provide a basic breakdown. You know: Unfiltered fact. We were promised a statement that arrived hours after @SenatorDurbin first disclosed the reprogramming was coming. 5/

The statement that eventually arrived said the money will come from "various accounts." Which ones, though? No one is saying much. /6

When we asked for information yesterday, we were promised a statement is coming. When it did, it had little of the information requested. Public-record, taxpayer dollar sort of stuff. The People's Business. /7

Today, Shanahan is down on the border. If his staff is providing a breakdown, great. But all indications are that more likely, they are not.

My requests for info from Shanahan’s people today have been referred to the main Pentagon public affairs office. /8

That's the same office that did not provide a breakdown yesterday, or even respond to messages after it released its fact-thin statement. Everyone refers to someone else. /9

Pentagon would like to say shifting money won't affect military readiness. One can discuss whether a fortified border has merit. But Trump admin officials have already acknowledged the DOD money spent on the wall could go to aircraft maintenence or a variety of other things. /10

Anyway, that's where we are for now as best as I understand. Happy Saturday, friends. Signing back off to go take my backyard.

Addendum: A doc obtained by The Post provides some additional fidelity. In addition to what @robertburnsAP detailed, it shows money will be shifted from programs for next-generation ICBMs, AWACS plane upgrades and a canceled DARPA space launch.

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…