A group of distinguished former US military leaders has issued a stark warning that the line between military service and political campaigning has been dangerously blurred under the Trump administration.
Erosion of an Apolitical Institution
The report, released on Monday, cautions that a series of actions, including the deployment of National Guard troops for domestic political disputes and the removal of senior officers, has made the armed forces appear to serve a partisan agenda. The use of troops, bases, and ceremonies in partisan settings has eroded morale and public trust in the military's apolitical character, the document states.
Titled 'The Perils of Politicising the US Military', the white paper was authored by six former service secretaries and retired four-star admirals and generals. The signatories include former army secretary Louis Caldera, former air force secretary Deborah Lee James, former navy secretary Sean O'Keefe, retired navy admiral Steve Abbot, retired coast guard admiral Thad Allen, and retired army general George Casey.
Months of Escalating Tensions
This warning comes amidst months of escalation between the Trump administration and US cities over the deployment of National Guard personnel. The administration is currently battling courts over its use of the guard in Portland. Furthermore, troops in Washington DC, where the president exerts more control, have been ordered to remain through at least February.
After dispatching troops to the nation's capital, President Trump sent others to Chicago and openly threatened to send more to other Democratic-run cities, including San Francisco and New York. This has raised significant concerns about the use of military assets for domestic political pressure.
A Purge at the Top
The report also highlights the upheaval within the defence department's leadership. Under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, there has been a significant purge of top brass. Last month, the navy chief of staff was abruptly fired. In May, an order was issued to cut the military's four-star generals and admirals by 20%.
Since January, Trump and Hegseth have fired more than half a dozen top generals. Notably, the administration has also dismissed the only two women serving as four-star officers. In a highly symbolic move, air force general CQ Brown Jr, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff and the second Black man to serve in that role, was fired in February.
The report concludes that the consequences of these efforts are severe, primarily the erosion of the armed forces' apolitical character. It warns that when service members and symbols are perceived as aligned with political agendas, the public begins to see the institution as partisan. Rebuilding that lost trust becomes incredibly difficult, harming recruitment, retention, and the nation's ability to reassure allies and deter adversaries abroad.
