Today I attended a luncheon that featured General David Petraeus as the speaker. Among things I wanted to get my copy of his new book Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine autographed. That happened and I highly recommend the book. No real chance to talk, but I was able to give him a written question I hope he will consider addressing.
As an influential military strategist, Petraeus is in a position to force current and future military leaders to begin addressing what I believe is the most consequential issue facing the future of the Department of Defense. My note read, “An Existential Question- What should, or would senior military officers do if they have a POTUS, SECDEF, and other appointed officials, that do not support and defend the U.S. Constitution?”
This may sound like a worst-case scenario but could easily become reality should Trump win the election. While momentum does seem to be shifting, the election is not guaranteed. Based on Trump’s actions after losing the 2020 election, there is no doubt his future appointments to the Secretary of Defense, and all of the other service secretaries (Army, Navy, and Air Force) would be based on personal loyalty to him.
As was seen with then-Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, just competence and general support are not enough. Immediately following the election, Esper was fired for not being “loyal enough.” In his highly recommended book, A Sacred Oath, Esper detailed a number of Trump’s ridiculous military ideas. One was to fire missiles into Mexico to strike the drug cartels assuming they wouldn’t know the missiles came from the United States. More recently the GOP has suggested we send American forces into Mexico as well. That’s right, they still are considering invading our neighbor to the south and America’s leading trading partner.
Another proposal was for military intervention in Venezuela. In 2018 it was reported that, “The next day, Aug. 11, Trump alarmed friends and foes alike with talk of a ‘military option’ to remove Maduro from power.” There are reports of several such discussions. And people praise Trump for no new wars. It was not because he didn’t try.
And then there was the thorny question of Iran. According to the New York Times after he had lost the 2020 election, “President Trump asked senior advisers in an Oval Office meeting on Thursday whether he had options to take action against Iran’s main nuclear site in the coming weeks.” Even his new acting Secretary of Defense, Chris Miller, supported by VP Pence and Secretary of State Pomeo, warned against such action.
Regarding using the military against Americans, you need to look no further than the riots following the murder of George Floyd. “Can’t you just shoot them in the legs” Trump asked? The story relayed by Michael Bender, stated, “Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley and then Attorney General Bill Barr explained to Trump that they couldn’t “just shoot” people, the president came up with an alternative suggestion. “Well, shoot them in the leg—or maybe the foot,” Trump reportedly said. “But be hard on them!” Additionally, allegedly he also commented “’Crack their skulls!’ Trump also told his team that he wanted the military to go in and “beat the f--k out” of the civil rights protesters.”
Don’t forget, that Trump, the very unstable genius, once mused about using a nuclear weapon against hurricanes. “According to Axios: "During one hurricane briefing at the White House, Trump said, 'I got it. I got it. Why don't we nuke them?' according to one source who was there. 'They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they're moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it. Why can't we do that?' the source added, paraphrasing the president's remarks."
Should Trump win the 2024 election, he gets to nominate all of the key Department of Defense positions. Also consider that his Project 2025 advocates converting many more professional civil service positions to appointees whose only qualification will be fealty to the Dear Leader. In 2020 the guardrail held – but just barely. Now imagine a country in which all of the appointed positions have but one assignment: Kiss Trump’s Ass! It must be done loudly and repeatedly. That worked for JD Vance who doesn’t yet realize he is as expendable as Mike Pence, and the dozens of others Trump has thrown under the bus.
What Trump expects is very clear. Consider this quote made to General John Kelly, then White House Chief of Staff, “’Why can’t you be like the German generals?’ Mr. Trump told John Kelly, his chief of staff, preceding the question with an obscenity.” Trump reportedly was not fazed by the response that Hitler’s general tried to kill him several times. The signal issue was Trump’s perception of unquestioned loyalty, a trait he demands. They forget, “you can’t love a narcissist enough!”
In general, the senior military leadership held the line. But there are those like LTG Mike Flynn staunchly supporting Trump. Despite his guilty plea to federal crimes, Trump pardoned him. That is a face we may see again. Normally the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is a position that transcends administrations. Actually, General Mark Milley was appointed to C, JCS on October 1, 2019, by Trump and was a significant factor in preventing the attempted coup on January 6th, 2021.
You can bet the next C, JCS Trump appoints will have to swear personal allegiance to him, rather than the Constitution, before being selected and nominated. As strange and unamerican as that may sound, remember, all of Trump’s current vice-presidential nominees were required to state they would go against the U.S. Constitution should a situation arise as it did on January 6th, 2021.
Returning to my question to General Petraeus, should Trump be reelected, there is indeed an existential threat to the country, and it rests largely in the Department of Defense. (And yes, DOJ is also at great risk, and they know it.) Flag officers across the board, but especially at the most senior levels, could be faced with the most difficult ethical decisions of their lives. Sacrificing their integrity do they accept higher rank or key position or remain loyal to the Sacred Oaths? This is an area I hope General Petraeus, and other four-star officers, will speak out on.
We need the Bullfrog!
