Trump has ‘blurred’ line between military and politics, ex-officers warn | US military
After months of escalation between US cities and the Trump administration and the deployment of National Guard troops, former military officials released a report on Monday on the risks of politicization of the country’s armed forces.
The report warns that increased domestic military deployments, such as the use of National Guard troops to control immigration into the United States and the withdrawal of senior military officers and legal advisers, have given the impression that the armed forces serve partisan purposes.
“The use of troops, bases, and ceremonies in partisan contexts has blurred the line between military service and political messaging, eroding morale and public confidence in the apolitical character of the military,” the report reads.
The report, titled The Perils of Politicizing the US Military, was authored by six former service secretaries and retired four-star admirals and generals, including former Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera, former Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, former Secretary of the Navy Sean O’Keefe, retired Navy Admiral Steve Abbot, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen and Army Gen. retired George Casey.
The white paper comes as the Trump administration continues to battle in court over the deployment of the National Guard to Portland. In Washington, D.C., where the president has more control over the Guard than in other states, troops have been ordered to stay there until at least February.
After sending troops to the nation’s capital, Trump sent more to Chicago and threatened to send more to other Democratic-led cities, like San Francisco and New York.
Meanwhile, months of upheaval within the Department of Defense have been a hallmark of Pete Hegseth’s tenure. Last month, Hegseth, the US defense secretary, abruptly fired the chief of staff of the Navy. In May, he ordered the military to cut 20 percent of its four-star generals and admirals, while Hegseth and Trump have fired more than half a dozen high-ranking generals since January.
The Trump administration also fired the only two women in the four-star officer position. In February, Hegseth also fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the second black man to hold the position.
Monday’s report warns of the consequences of such efforts, including “the erosion of the apolitical character of the armed forces.”
“When the military, senior leaders, or military symbols are seen as aligned with political agendas, the public begins to see the institution as partisan rather than national – and once eroded, this trust is difficult to rebuild,” the report reads. “This loss of trust makes it harder to recruit across the political spectrum, harder to retain talent, and harder to reassure allies and deter adversaries abroad. »
