In this chilling video, Legal AF host Michael Popok discusses Donald Trump’s plan to overhaul U.S. military leadership, firing or reassigning generals he deems disloyal and replacing them with loyalists who will obey him no matter what. This plan, reportedly drafted in a preliminary executive order, would aim to eliminate resistance within the military hierarchy by removing top officials like Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Charles Q. Brown Jr.
Popok highlights Trump's previous clashes with military leaders, most notably with General Mark Milley, who reportedly intervened with foreign leaders to prevent dangerous escalations of conflicts during Trump's presidency. Trump wants to make sure he never has a General like Milley again who will say no to his extreme orders.
Popok argues that Trump will use “battlefield promotions” to reassign generals who oppose him to desk jobs, while creating a loyalist chain of command. This type of remaking of the top military brass in Trump’s image would be difficult to prevent legally due to broad interpretations of presidential powers, especially following recent Supreme Court rulings that have expanded “absolute” executive immunity. This comes on the day that Trump tapped Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense; a bizarre loyalty pick that has stunned members of the defense community.
Popok stresses that we have to be even more vigilant now than ever before over the the potential for authoritarian shifts within the government. A loyalist military command, combined with a Republican controlled congress that has abdicated its role as a coequal branch of government, and a right-wing judiciary, is disaster for civilian control of the military and may lead to Trump never leaving office.
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