No one needed President Donald Trumps military parade on June 14, which just happened to take place on his birthday, to know that the United States fearsome armed forces deserve respect. Ostentatious muscle-flexing does not make America appear confident particularly when there are questions about whom, exactly, it is meant to honor.
But if the June 14 parade had been the only spectacular interaction the president had with U.S. service members in recent weeks, the nation would have reason for relief. Instead, that was the week that Trump politicized the military, challenging the core principles of civilian-military relations.
The week began with his deployment of troops, including more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, in response to protests of immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. The president stopped short of investing them with policing powers, but his decision to nationalize the California National Guard against the wishes of state officials was an unnecessary escalation. Though there was some violence associated with the protests, for which there is no excuse, the disorder was nothing beyond the capabilities of local law enforcement.
U.S. leaders should treat the deployment of federal troops to a major American city as a regrettable last resort. Yet Trump appeared to revel in the politics of his stunt, warring with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on social media and portraying Los Angeles as a hellscape of third-world lawlessness that only military forces could pacify. Though the troops ostensible role was limited, images of armed soldiers accompanying immigration officers during raids and standing by as they detained people conveyed a political message about the presidents resolve to govern forcefully even if those on the ground wish he wouldnt.
Then, on June 10, Trump led what felt like a political rally with enlisted troops at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The event was supposed to be a customary presidential visit to boost morale among service members and to celebrate the U.S. Armys 250th anniversary. Defense Department directives prohibit service members from participating in partisan activity. But Trump encouraged it. Do you think this crowd would have showed up for Biden? I dont think so, Trump said. MAGA merchandise was on sale at the site. The crowd booed loudly when Trump mentioned former president Joe Biden, the media, Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D).
Military officials circulated memos before the event that might have helped discourage the attendance of soldiers unlikely to favor such messages. If any soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they dont want to be in the audience then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out, the memo stated, according to Military.com.
Trump also used the Fort Bragg event to drag the military into another political battle, announcing that he would restore the names of seven Army bases that had originally honored Confederate leaders. The decision skirts the will of Congress, which in 2021 mandated a Defense Department commission to rebrand U.S. military installations then named for men who sought to end the Union. The Trump administration, in an attempt to deflect criticism, searched for obscure soldiers who shared the names of Confederate leaders to become the forts namesakes. Virginias Fort Lee, originally named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, will now honor Fitz Lee, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Spanish-American War. All the same, it is a symbolic victory for Confederate apologists.
Civilian control of the military is a sacrosanct American value. To be sustainable, it requires the armed forces to salute any occupant of the presidency and refrain from serving the personal interests of a single commander in chief. It also helps when the commander in chief uses good judgment.
In the lead-up to June 14’s military parade, Trump warned: If theres any protester who wants to come out, they will be met with very big force. At its inception, the fledgling Continental Army was cobbled together by George Washington to oppose a monarch who met colonial protests with big force. Those revolutionaries secured a democracy in which government leaders can abide dissent. The president ought to be celebrating with the military that this freedom persists today.
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