Patriotic Americans must fiercely oppose Donald Trump's attempts to use the military to advance his fascist agenda
by Joel Connelly
A formal and cerebral man, General George C. Marshall mapped our nation’s path to victory in World War II, yet his first visit to Franklin Roosevelt’s Hyde Park estate was to watch Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s coffin be interred.
Roosevelt had picked Marshall over more than thirty more senior officers to serve as Army Chief of Staff. Yet, Marshall refused to become chums, resisted invites to join the presidential entourage. He bore allegiance to the Constitution, not the leader.
As Donald Trump purges Joint Chiefs of Staff and pretends to celebrate the Army’s birthday (which coincides with his own birthday) via a splashy military parade, we need to hang onto the model of Marshall. Putting toadies in Pentagon leadership in damaging to the Republic — and disastrous on the battlefield.
The professionalism of America’s military mostly held during the first Trump regime. The Secretary of Defense, retired Marine General Jim Mattis, pushed back when Trump lost control. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley was swept into the entourage as Trump headed toward a Bible-waving photo op outside St. John’s Church, but then walked back and apologized for his action in a remarkable public letter.
https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2025/06/patriotic-americans-must-fiercely-oppose-donald-trumps-attempts-to-use-the-military-to-advance-his-fascist-agenda.html