The situation with the military is dire. The strategy of slow-walking Trump’s orders has an upper limit. Top generals consult with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps over his most extreme orders and severely limit them based on the rules governing use of force. But a furious Trump forces some generals to resign and fires others. Frustrated, he replaces the chairman of the Joint Chiefs with a first lieutenant who is a Trump loyalist.
You talk with friends of friends who explain that the military establishment will resist becoming a political pawn, but it also won’t disobey lawful orders outright. To do either would end the U.S. military as we know it. But worry has only increased. In the lower ranks there is more support for MAGA and frustration at the situation happening in the higher ranks. Some now worry about open revolt from below. Others worry that top generals won’t be able to hold it together.
You begin reaching out to veterans and veteran family organizations — from the political left, right, and center — many of whom have deep connections with active duty military. You focus on families, reaffirming the oath of office and reminding the military that it is there to protect its entire citizenry. You sometimes couch this as avoiding the nearly unthinkable possibility that the U.S. military would actively fire on unarmed U.S. citizens. Other times you frame this as a fight for the military’s survival — “It cannot survive being seen as politicized.” And other times you help people recall themes from their training and codes of honor: The role of the military is to protect — not to score political points.
