Two Army officers recently penned an op-ed in military news outlet Defense One, in which they urge Chairmain of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley to remove President Trump from office if he does not voluntarily leave at the end of his term.
John Nagl, a retired Army officer and veteran of both Iraq wars, is Head of School at The Haverford School, and Paul Yingling, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, and veteran of numerous conflicts in Iraq, wrote the op-ed titled, “’. . . All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic’: An Open Letter to Gen. Milley,” published Tuesday.
In it, the two write that Milley will have to make a choice if Trump does not leave under his own volition.
“In a few months’ time, you may have to choose between defying a lawless president or betraying your Constitutional oath. We write to assist you in thinking clearly about that choice,” the two write.
“If Donald Trump refuses to leave office at the expiration of his constitutional term, the United States military must remove him by force, and you must give that order.”
In the unprecedented letter, the two allude to the fact that Trump is facing possible prosecution for various crimes once he leaves office and that might affect his decision to participate in a peaceful transition of power.
“The stakes of the 2020 election are especially high for Mr. Trump; in defeat, he will likely face criminal prosecution.”
“Given this dizzying array of threats not merely to his political prospects, but also his liberty and wealth, Mr. Trump is following the playbook of dictators throughout history: he is building a private army answerable only to him,” the two write, alluding to federal officers the Department of Homeland Security sent in to Portland, OR, to protect federal property from rioters and anarchists after local leaders refused to.
It is not clear why the pair give Mr. Trump zero chance in winning the election.
“There can be little doubt that Mr. Trump is facing electoral defeat,” the two presumptuously assert.
It is unclear how widespread these feelings are within the U.S. Army or General Milley’s reaction is to the letter.
You can read the op-ed in full here.
Photo by The White House