Introduction
General Mark Alexander Milley is one of the top US military officers. He informed Congress in August that the armed forces will take no role in the upcoming election. They will neither be involved in the election process nor solve any disputed vote issues.
Influence of the Trump administration on the US military’s role in the election
President Donald Trump has said that he is doubtful about the validity of the voting process. He declared that the expected surge in mail-in ballots would make the vote “inaccurate and fraudulent.” Due to this dispute, if Trump loses, he said he would not accept the election results.
Trump protested about scrutinizing the political decision’s legitimacy. It has set off exceptional stress over the potential for chaos that could happen over the election results. Some have hypothesized that the military may be called upon to get included.
They think that the military may be called upon by Trump, attempting to utilize it to help his reelection possibilities. Also, it could be employed to remove Trump from the White House if he doesn’t accept the election, but rather rejects the decision.
The military has resolutely looked to back down and is ardently defensive of its general objective nature.
There were several questions made by two Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee, Reps. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, regarding the role of the military in this election. In his written responses, Milley said, “I believe deeply in the principle of nonpolitical US military.”
The US military was never interested or involved in politics, and his response made it clear he took an apolitical stance. He also mentioned that if a dispute over some aspect of the elections happens, then, by law, the US courts and the US Congress are required to resolve any disputes. The US military has no role in this.
Meanings hidden behind Milley’s words
General Milley is speaking the words that mirror the long-standing perspectives of military pioneers, who demanded that the country’s military avoid legislative issues and that troops are dedicated to secure the nation and maintain the Constitution.
Some speculations are being discussed that Trump would decline to recognize the outcome of the election, or more terribly, decline to leave the office. This discussion has been flowing for quite a while on television shows and commentary segments.
No one knows for sure what will happen. But whatever happens, Milley’s remarks fortify what officials are instructed from the time they are cadets; the military is non-opinionated and has no role in the political race.
In June, Milley apologized for walking with Trump through Lafayette Square during a discourse at the National Defense University after it was coercively freed from protestors.
Senior Pentagon policy adviser and former CIA analyst Slotkin said that “These are just prudent questions to be asking, given the things that the president has been saying publicly.”
She has talked about Trump’s military utilization to clear protestors from Lafayette Square, and his recommendations that he may put law enforcement at the polling locations to ensure casting a ballot is led expertly.
She has also replied to Milley’s words about the scenario, saying that Milley “demonstrated that the chairman recognized the military’s role in our elections is to stay out. Essentially, the military’s role in the peaceful transition of power is to stay out.”
A current US Army General, Mark Alexander Milley, was a military student Army General, and now he is the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
When he was asked about whether the military would decline a request from the President in the event that he was attempting to utilize military activity for political purposes instead of public security, Milley stated, “I won’t follow an unlawful order.”
More words from the US military
A former Navy helicopter pilot, Mikie Sherrill, who has served for about ten years, said that the issue is personal. She said, “We see the President refusing to say that he will accept the defeat, as we see the President of the United States of America questioning our democracy and or ability to run free and fair elections.”
She added that the other Cabinet members, along with the Attorney General, should be questioned as well.
Trump said on Fox News Sunday that he needs to see whether he would accept the election or not. “Look, I have to see.” He is not going to say yes simply, and he is not even ready to state no. The Biden campaign reacted to this and said that “the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
Later, Trump proposed that the election should be delayed due to the pandemic. Since the COVID pandemic has made it likely, it could take days or even weeks to include mail-in polling ballots. In any case, that thought was promptly smacked down by top legislative Republicans. Only Congress can change the election date.
People are thinking about the military being brought into the political race because of Trump’s tendency to utilize the military as sectarian props. He tried to raise alerts and met opposition from the Pentagon when he took steps to utilize the Insurrection Act to utilize troops for law authorization during the riots after George Floyd’s demise.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly said he resisted such a move, and it nearly cost Esper his job. There were questions sent to Esper, and the answers were due, but Slotkin said he has not yet responded.
This is the second time lately that Milley has disclosed something publicly against the military association in governmental issues. The previous time was in June at the National Defense University, about walking with Trump through Lafayette Square.
Conclusion
The US General Milley has stated that the US military should hold to the role of an objective military that is so profoundly established in the very embodiment of the republic. Thus, he is staying rigid to his decision that the military will take no role in this 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.