WASHINGTON – During a gathering of military leaders, former President Donald Trump reportedly suggested teh potential deployment of the military within U.S. cities, prompting concern from legal and military experts. The remarks, delivered[Dateofspeech-[Dateofspeech-[Dateofspeech-[Dateofspeech-facts not provided in text], have raised questions about the constitutional limits of presidential authority over the armed forces and the past precedent for domestic military deployment.
Retired Captain Margaret Donovan, a former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer and Yale Law School graduate, expressed strong reservations about the implications of trump’s statements. “you know, I think the military’s priority is defending the homeland, but the problem is the military’s priority is protecting American citizens,” Donovan stated. “American citizens are not the enemy. And the message that the president seems to be sending is that there is an enemy within. That is not true.”
Donovan emphasized the military’s core mission: “Soldiers are training to protect American citizens from foreign adversaries. They’re training to defend the Constitution. So, that is incorrect to say that the enemy is in the country.” She argued that such a notion “stands against everything,every norm,every ethic,every moral that these military commanders have developed learned and hopefully imposed on their junior soldiers throughout their careers.”
The discussion referenced historical instances of military deployment following national security crises. Nick Schifrin of[NewsOrganization-[NewsOrganization-[NewsOrganization-[NewsOrganization-information not provided in text]noted that after the attacks on Pearl Harbor and 9/11, Congress passed legislation authorizing the president to utilize the military for “forward defense,” aiming to preempt attacks on U.S. soil.
Donovan distinguished Trump’s vision from these precedents, asserting, “We’re talking about foreign adversaries…What he’s talking about now, or what he seems to be alluding to, is some type of internal enemy that doesn’t actually exist.” She urged service members to critically evaluate orders, referencing their oath to ”protect and defend” the Constitution and uphold the law. “These are the questions that they need to be asking themselves when they receive orders that they question are unlawful,” she said.
Donovan also questioned Trump’s understanding of the military, stating, “Everything that he’s learned about the U.S. military, he has learned from the movies.” She highlighted the constitutional role of Congress in declaring war, suggesting Trump’s remarks demonstrate a disregard for established legal boundaries. “So it’s kind of no surprise that he doesn’t really know what he’s talking about, that he thinks you can direct the military to do this or that and not stay in accordance with the law and the constitutional intent.” She expressed hope that senior military officials would recognize the situation and “respond accordingly with the leadership skills that they have.”
