“A network of public interest groups and lawmakers, nervous about former President Trump’s potential return to power, is quietly devising plans to foil any effort on his part to pressure the U.S. military to carry out his political agenda,” NBC reports.
Democrat lawmakers, advocacy groups, and former government officials are “quietly devising plans” to stop former President Donald Trump from asserting control of the military if elected president again in November, according to a report.
NBC News’ article titled, “Fears grow that Trump will use the military in ‘dictatorial ways’ if he returns to the White House,” details how “a loose-knit network of public interest groups and lawmakers” are preparing to “foil any efforts” for Trump to use the military to carry out his political agenda if he becomes Commander-in-Chief once again.
The report acknowledged that despite the fact Trump will have “vast powers” as Commander-in-Chief bestowed by the Constitution and the American people, these groups are nonetheless working to subvert his ability to lawfully carry out his agenda.
“America’s commander-in-chief has vast powers at his disposal — some well-known, others not so much. Some lawmakers and pro-democracy advocates worry there may be nothing stopping a president from mobilizing the military to intervene in elections, police American streets or quash domestic protests,” NBC News reported.
Among the individuals and groups involved in this soft coup are former Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and leftist activist groups like Democracy Forward.
From NBC News:
Those taking part in the effort told NBC News they are studying Trump’s past actions and 2024 policy positions so that they will be ready if he wins in November. That involves preparing to take legal action and send letters to Trump appointees spelling out consequences they’d face if they undermine constitutional norms.
“We’re already starting to put together a team to think through the most damaging types of things that he [Trump] might do so that we’re ready to bring lawsuits if we have to,” said Mary McCord, executive director of the Institution for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law.
Part of the aim is to identify like-minded organizations and create a coalition to challenge Trump from day one, those taking part in the discussions said. Some participants are combing through policy papers being craftedfor a future conservative administration. They’re also watching the interviews that Trump allies are giving to the press for clues to how a Trump sequel would look.
Other participants include Democracy Forward, an organization that took the Trump administration to court more than 100 times during his administration, and Protect Democracy, an anti-authoritarian group.
“We are preparing for litigation and preparing to use every tool in the toolbox that our democracy provides to provide the American people an ability to fight back,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward. “We believe this is an existential moment for American democracy and it’s incumbent on everybody to do their part.”
One of this anti-Trump network’s top concerns is President Trump removing stay-behind bureaucrats in the Pentagon who won’t faithfully execute the president’s lawful orders or carry out his anti-war agenda.
“The Pentagon is going to be a super high priority, and they have to understand there will be a new sheriff in town,” NBC cited Bannon as saying. “You’re going to see a massive housecleaning at the Pentagon. President Trump wants to put in a philosophy of how to win wars.”
The network is also working to prevent Trump from pulling out of NATO because the U.S. bankrolls most of the alliance’s budget.
“Lawmakers like Blumenthal are taking steps akin to placing sandbags around a building before a hurricane hits. They’ve made it tougher for a president to pull out of the NATO military alliance, for example,” NBC reported.
These groups are also “wary” about Trump possibly invoking the Insurrection Act, which NBC admits “gives a president considerable discretion,” to use active-duty military to carry specific policy objectives.
“There are an array of horrors that could result from Donald Trump’s unrestricted use of the Insurrection Act,” Blumenthal said in an interview. “A malignantly motivated president could use it in a vast variety of dictatorial ways unless at some point the military itself resisted what they deemed to be an unlawful order. But that places a very heavy burden on the military.”
A former Trump administration official who wished to remain anonymous echoed Blumenthal’s worry: “The Insurrection Act is a legal order, and if he orders it there will be military officers, especially younger men and women, who will follow that legal order,” he said.
Finally, this Democrat network claims they are duty-bound to prevent Trump from asserting control of the military because they claim he might “assassinate political rivals.”
These claims are made by the same people who pushed the “Russia collusion” hoax coup in a bid to unseat President Trump in his first term.
For example, former Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary McCord was the one who processed the FISA warrants unlawfully used to spy on Trump’s campaign in 2017 as part of the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” witch hunt.
Conservatives on social media widely criticized these efforts as a “coup” and an act of “treason.”
Treason, that’s called treason https://t.co/YMlAO0EBSR
— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) January 14, 2024
This is called a “coup,” and openly discussed by the very same people who lecture you that *Trump* is the danger to democracy. Every day they panic even more exposing themselves for what they are. And they wonder why the American people have had enough. https://t.co/edQI5QvUzz
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) January 14, 2024
COUP: NBC is reporting that Democrats are preparing to remove the president’s control of the military if Trump is elected. The framers put the president at the top of the military hierarchy to ensure that the military would always remain subordinate to the elected, civilian… https://t.co/XwthSr7vWy
— @amuse (@amuse) January 14, 2024
Openly admitting that they are planning a military coup if Americans re-elect Donald Trump.
All to protect democracy of course. https://t.co/65JFH8DeJy
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 14, 2024
Pre-emptive coup https://t.co/7uGH6MpUcM
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 14, 2024
As deep state democrats strategize a military coup if Trump gets re-elected – NBC soft pedals the treason. Neurolinguistic programming at work. https://t.co/nt0UpW0EKa
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) January 14, 2024
Translation
“We’re scared Trump is going to win and throw us in gitmo for treason, so we are trying to organize a coup so that doesn’t happen.” https://t.co/niKieOjPeN
— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) January 14, 2024
What do we call this? If Trump is in office? A coup on a sitting president.
§2385. Advocating overthrow of Government. Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department… https://t.co/5dxpA5SpxQ
— Wendy Patterson (@wendyp4545) January 14, 2024
This is what is called a Coup d’état pic.twitter.com/sG6cARSEjG
— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) January 14, 2024
The NBC News military coup proposal piece tries to argue they need to pre-orchestrate military defiance of the Commander-In-Chief bc, among other things, Trump might assassinate opposing lawmakers.
All-time hall of fame “It’s Coming Right For Us” predicate creation https://t.co/bUkSUJZDpR pic.twitter.com/Au911gSDSt
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) January 14, 2024
Regime action plan 2024: seems “Caesar Trump” rhetoric is devised to legitimize military coup if elected. https://t.co/XaZptAw5gA
— Lee Smith (@LeeSmithDC) January 14, 2024
But don’t worry — these unelected bureaucrats just want to remove the democratically elected Commander-in-Chief’s lawful control of the military to “protect democracy.”
