Trump’s dangerous words require action

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Recent calls by political leaders to deploy military forces to quell unrest on Election Day should deeply concern every American who values ​​democracy. As a veteran who served this country, I know first-hand how important it is to keep partisan politics out of our military. Former President Donald Trump’s proposal is not only irresponsible—it poses a threat to the democratic system we are sworn to protect.

During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, Trump suggested using the military to fight what he called the “enemy from within” on Election Day. He said he was less concerned about the chaos created by his own supporters or foreign actors, but more concerned about others in America.

“We have some very bad people. We have sick people. The radical left is crazy,” Trump said. “I think it should be very easy to deal with, if necessary, by the National Guard or, if really necessary, by the military, because they cannot allow this to happen.”

The idea of ​​using military force to suppress political opposition is more than just rhetoric; it undermines the very principles of civilian control of the military and the peaceful transfer of power. Our Founding Fathers understood this. That’s why they created safeguards like the Posse Comitatus Act, designed to prevent the military from being used as an instrument of political power. These guarantees are designed to prevent abuses of power and keep our country from sliding into authoritarianism. When a former president casually ignores these protections, we should all take notice.

In 2023, I participated in a bipartisan exercise organized by the nonpartisan Vet Voice Foundation that explored a scenario that has become all too plausible in today’s environment. Senior officials from the last five presidential administrations, along with veterans and military leaders, have played out their roles in what would happen if a small number of radical elements of the military rejected the results of a democratic election and supported the losing candidate. This is the kind of scenario that, as a military officer, you hope to never see, but it highlights how fragile our democracy is and the need for constant vigilance. The exercise was immortalized in the new documentary The War Game.

This teaching was inspired in part by an article written by three retired American generals following the events of January 6, 2021. They warned of possible splits in our army, which could cause political divisions in our country, leading to disintegration. in the authorities and the possibility of extremists participating in a military coup. These men were not alarmists—they spoke from the hard-earned experience of decades in uniform, and their words should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans.

The purpose of the exercise was not to scare anyone, but to ensure the nation was prepared. Democracy is fragile and the peaceful transfer of power cannot be taken for granted. That’s why we need to plan for these worst-case scenarios to ensure that our military leaders are prepared to resist unlawful orders and to protect our institutions from those who would undermine them.

The exercise showed that the Insurrection Act, a federal law that gives the president the authority to deploy U.S. military forces domestically to quell civil unrest, insurrection, or insurrection, could be misused if the commander in chief is given broad authority to deploy troops domestically without clear permissions. restrictions that potentially stifle legitimate dissent. He also stressed the need to reform the Insurrection Act itself to prevent an unchecked presidency from eroding democratic freedoms and to ensure that federal troop deployments are reserved exclusively for genuine crises beyond the capabilities of local authorities.

When a former president calls for its use in the context of an election, we must take this threat seriously.

We cannot afford to become complacent. The generals who warned about this threat in 2021 were right: divisions in our country have deepened and the risks have increased. The exercise I participated in was an attempt to identify and fix these vulnerabilities before it was too late. But not only the army must be ready, but all of us. The responsibility for protecting our democracy does not rest with any one group. This is a collective duty.

Americans of all political stripes must reject the notion that the military can or should be used to settle political disputes. The strength of our democracy depends on our ability to unite, respect the rule of law, and ensure that our military remains outside of political infighting.

Anything less would be a betrayal of everything we fought to protect.

— Linda L. Singh is a retired Major General in the Maryland National Guard. She was appointed Adjutant General of Maryland by Gov. Larry Hogan, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Maryland Military Department, which includes the Maryland Army National Guard, Maryland Air National Guard, Maryland Emergency Management Agency and the Maryland Defense Forces.

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