“…The Trump administration has regularly and blatantly politicized the Department of Defense in ways the undermine the military’s ability to fight, recruit, retain, and keep public trust. The president has signed campaign paraphernalia on military bases, denigrated the opposition political party at major speeches in front of the troops, repeatedly refers to senior active duty military commanders as “my generals,” allows partisan media sources to influence decisions in military justice, revokes security clearances in retaliation for public criticism, and recently reached down to relieve a distinguished Navy Captain of command for making the administration look bad. The president’s repeated threats to use the military to establish “law and order”—which emerged in the late 1960s as a dog whistle to white Americans concerned about domestic unrest and civil rights—falls squarely within this pattern.
It is simply impossible to see each of these instances separately. Instead, this repeated, deliberate, and persistent politicization of the military risks permanently reducing public trust in the military as a non-partisan institution.”
America’s top general has apologized for appearing in a photo-op with President Donald Trump following the forceful dispersal of peaceful protesters outside the White House last week, calling the move a “mistake” and saying his presence “created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a pre-recorded speech released on Thursday that he regrets accompanying Trump on a walk from the White House to St. John’s Church last week where he was photographed wearing his combat uniform and moving with the President’s entourage through Lafayette Square. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/politics/milley-trump-appearance-mistake/index.html
The comments mark an extraordinary moment of America’s top general apologizing for an appearance with his commander in chief, and doing so while speaking to a group of future military officers and leaders.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the President, issued a statement of support for Milley in the wake of the general’s video statement Thursday.
“I have nothing but deep admiration for and total confidence in General Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” the South Carolina Republican wrote. “I support his statement in both substance and spirit regarding the recent presidential visit to St. John’s.”
“General Milley is a tremendous military leader who understands the long tradition of maintaining an apolitical, nonpartisan military,” Graham added.
Last week, CNN reported that Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was on shaky ground with the White House after saying he does not support using active duty forces to police the ongoing domestic unrest and noting that those forces should only be used in a law enforcement role as a last resort. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/politics/esper-insurrection-act-protests/index.html
“Dear Civ-Mil Community: The (Retired) Generals Are Speaking & We Should Listen” by Carrie A. Lee, an Assistant Professor at the US Air War College. (6/3/20) https://duckofminerva.com/2020/06/dear-civ-mil-community-the-retired-generals-are-speaking-we-should-listen.html
“…The Trump administration has regularly and blatantly politicized the Department of Defense in ways the undermine the military’s ability to fight, recruit, retain, and keep public trust. The president has signed campaign paraphernalia on military bases, denigrated the opposition political party at major speeches in front of the troops, repeatedly refers to senior active duty military commanders as “my generals,” allows partisan media sources to influence decisions in military justice, revokes security clearances in retaliation for public criticism, and recently reached down to relieve a distinguished Navy Captain of command for making the administration look bad. The president’s repeated threats to use the military to establish “law and order”—which emerged in the late 1960s as a dog whistle to white Americans concerned about domestic unrest and civil rights—falls squarely within this pattern.
It is simply impossible to see each of these instances separately. Instead, this repeated, deliberate, and persistent politicization of the military risks permanently reducing public trust in the military as a non-partisan institution.”
America’s top general has apologized for appearing in a photo-op with President Donald Trump following the forceful dispersal of peaceful protesters outside the White House last week, calling the move a “mistake” and saying his presence “created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics.”
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a pre-recorded speech released on Thursday that he regrets accompanying Trump on a walk from the White House to St. John’s Church last week where he was photographed wearing his combat uniform and moving with the President’s entourage through Lafayette Square. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/11/politics/milley-trump-appearance-mistake/index.html
The comments mark an extraordinary moment of America’s top general apologizing for an appearance with his commander in chief, and doing so while speaking to a group of future military officers and leaders.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the President, issued a statement of support for Milley in the wake of the general’s video statement Thursday.
“I have nothing but deep admiration for and total confidence in General Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” the South Carolina Republican wrote. “I support his statement in both substance and spirit regarding the recent presidential visit to St. John’s.”
“General Milley is a tremendous military leader who understands the long tradition of maintaining an apolitical, nonpartisan military,” Graham added.
Last week, CNN reported that Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was on shaky ground with the White House after saying he does not support using active duty forces to police the ongoing domestic unrest and noting that those forces should only be used in a law enforcement role as a last resort. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/politics/esper-insurrection-act-protests/index.html
President Trump, in an extensive interview with Fox News, said he’s “fine” with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley’s move to express regret for accompanying the president during a photo op last week at Lafayette Square — while defending his own actions that day. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-responds-to-milley-apology-for-lafayette-square-photo-op