“I’ve been associated with the military for over 40 years, and I’ve never seen the discussions that are being had right now, the need for such discussions.”
(Anonymous Military Official about recent happenings)
The United States of America is well regarded in the world due to its ever-lasting democracy. However, an ultra-nationalist and fascist president in the White House has put many things at stake.
As Donald Trump lost his second attempt to win America’s presidency, he is not leaving any stone unturned to hit below the belt to cement his illegal regime in the Oval Office. Recently, the talks about the military coup of Trump came into the limelight, which not only worried Americans but also dragged the US military into shock.
Military circles are discussing the possible military coup of Trump as the US military pulls up their socks to tackle any undemocratic attempt of Trump to win power again. Military leaders have called the move “unprecedented craziness.”
National security experts opined that Trump’s options of performing the military coup are legally very much limited, but at least an attempt can be made, which itself is dangerous for democracy.
This discussion started as Trump lost all of his legal challenges and every other effort to steal the electoral college mandate that Americans gave to Joe Biden.
How is Trump attempting a military coup? What are the fears in the military circles? How will the military retaliate if Trump takes any such action? Let’s explore further.
Shocks in the Military Ranks: “Unprecedented craziness” of Military Coup of Trump
“At this point, there’s no telling what the president might do in the next month. Though I’m confident that the uniformed military leadership has their heads screwed on right, the craziness is unprecedented, and the possibilities are endless.”
(A Former NORTHCOM commander)
This dictum itself portrays the talks which are happening in the military ranks right now. Currently, the Pentagon is on high alert regarding any extrajudicial action which Trump might take in the days to come.
Despite losing all the lawsuits and the electoral college, Trump still said, “It’s not over…” which suggests that he is ready to take his actions to an unprecedented level.
While most military leaders think it is highly improbable that the military will be asked directly for the election-reversal, the military coup of Trump can come in various other forms. That is the reason why the former NORTHCOM commander voiced concern about the “endless possibilities.”
For instance, Trump can activate his pro-militia White Supremacist groups in his last days to create disturbance and armed violence in Washington, DC. Similarly, he can also hire private militia and use them to bring violence to the streets, leaving the military coup imminent.
Not only this, but he can also use pro-Trump paramilitaries to walk on the path of violence to disturb the transition.
A trailer of these crises was seen after the passing of George Floyd, where armed militia tried to disrupt the peaceful protests.
The coronavirus’s prevailing crisis has also empowered Donald Trump to take unusual actions to bring chaos to the country. The same thing was reiterated by the former Advocate General who said,
“Right now, because of coronavirus, the president actually has unprecedented emergency powers, ones that might convince him, particularly if he listens to certain of his supporters, that he has unlimited powers and is above the law. “
(Former Advocate General)
The military leaders are also taking to the media, remaining anonymous, considering that Trump is taking crazy actions against those opposing his baseless rhetoric of election fraud.
The United States’ president is the commander in chief of the armed forces under the US Constitution. This is such a power that using it insanely will bring more bad than good.
The post-election days of Donald Trump explain a sorry state of affairs. Be it the countless, baseless lawsuits, making the electoral college controversial, firing the Attorney General, criticizing Republicans who don’t support him blindly, putting America on fire in general, and conspiring against the January 6 announcement of Biden’s presidency, his every action decries insanity.
As all of this was not enough, now dragging the military into politics will make the matter worse. So the possible military coup of Trump will only make him more prone to danger.
The unparalleled presidential pardon show also tells a story not heard before. Until now, he has pardoned at least 49 people who violated the United States Constitution.
Trump Using Michael Flynn to Enter Military Ranks
The interesting thing is that he has already brought the military into politics by pardoning former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. This way, he also portrays the notion to the officials of the armed forces that anyone helping him in performing extrajudicial activity can be pardoned.
This was an extremely tricky move from Donald Trump, as Flynn has contacts within military circles. Since getting the pardon, Michael Flynn has also started to decry the election foul against Donald Trump.
While supporting the election fraud notions of Donald Trump, Michael Flynn said,
“The president has to plan for every eventuality because we cannot allow this election and the integrity of our election to go the way it is.”
(Michael Flynn)
These remarks of Michael Flynn and the selection of words also depict the alarming state of affairs. As he talks about “every eventuality,” the extrajudicial activities, especially a military coup of Trump, will fall under these actions.
The other military members severely criticized the remarks of Michael Flynn. Colin Powell, the former chief of staff and Secretary of State, said that Flynn was a “disgrace to his uniform.”
There are also reports emerging that Michael Flynn is Trump’s right-hand man in all of these extralegal efforts that he is trying to initiate.
If He Drags the Military into a Coup, the Military will Drag him out of the White House
While he may try to provoke a rebellion in the armed ranks, the military leadership is ready to answer all the events that are taking place in the White House.
The shock is actually not new for the military. Before the elections, Donald Trump declined to leave the White House in case he lost the election. This portrayed the notion in the military circles of what might happen in case of Trump’s loss.
The US military was well aware that they can be used in extrajudicial activities. This is the reason why General Mark Miley, incumbent chairman of Joint Chief of Staff, said well before the elections, while Donald Trump was building grounds not to leave the office after an election loss, that,
“I believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical US military…I won’t follow an unlawful order.”
(Mark Miley)
Senior Defense Department officials have made it clear that there is no role of the US military in the political disputes of the country.
General Mark Miley has reiterated the same words he did before elections. He made it clear once again that the military takes an oath under the Constitution and serves only the Constitution.
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Army Joint Chief of Staff also released a statement saying that the Armed Forces have nothing to do with the election outcomes.
A poll by the Military Times also busted Donald Trump’s belief that the military is composed of pro-Republican men. The poll shows that the approval rating of President Trump has declined from 46 per cent to 38 per cent among active-duty military personnel.
Conclusion
The top military leadership statements are enough to tell that the worry of a military coup of Trump is real, but any attempt by him will end in disgracing him even further.
The armed forces officials’ response portrays a well-versed message that they are not interested in any attempt to enter Washington DC and take control of the White House.
As Donald Trump spends his last days in the office putting America on fire, he should better worry about gigantic lawsuits coming his way ahead.
Taking any illegal activity will increase his chances to be prosecuted during Biden’s presidency and end his political career, as he wants to run again for the White House in the 2024 presidential election.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.