December 25 that military leaders in the Pentagon and Washington are on high alert and are highly vigilant about what Donald Trump may take before leaving office.
Although unlikely, senior officers discuss what they would do if the president declared martial law. The military command in charge of Washington, D.C., is secretly developing contingency plans in case armed forces are needed to maintain or restore social order during the inauguration ceremony and transition period.
An officer who declined to be named told U.S. Newsweek that the military’s plan is avoiding Trump supporters in the White House and the Pentagon to prevent the plan from being suspended.
According to a retired naval officer who provided advice and suggestions to senior naval leaders, “I have been in contact with the military for more than 40 years.
The current discussion is unprecedented, and it has never been necessary before.” The retired officer, now a defense contractor, was allowed to speak anonymously in case of reprisals.
According to the report, six other officers who hold similar positions also believe that although the military leadership is unlikely to participate in any election-related riot plan, they are worried that the military may be involved in a crisis caused by Trump, especially Trump’s attempt to summon private militias and pro-Trump paramilitary forces, with the intention of Words that undermine the power transition and plunge the capital into violent conflict.
“Now, because of the pandemic, Trump actually has unprecedented emergency response powers,” said one retired military commissioner, “which could convince him — especially if he listens to certain supporters — that he has unlimited power and is above the law.”
The lawyer said: “But martial law is a wrong example of considering future risks.” Although Trump can issue such an order in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the army, a key missing factor comes from the military side: it is necessary for some officers who support Trump’s illegal behavior to participate and acquiesce in such actions.
He and other experts agree that such small groups do not exist, but there is still the possibility of riots, chaos and even use of force.
U.S. Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy and Army Chief of Staff General James McConville said in a joint statement on the 18th: “The U.S. military does not participate in determining the outcome of the U.S. election.”
The report pointed out that although the Pentagon officially responded to Newsweek’s question, saying that the military did not play any role in terms of the election results, it refused to respond to the post-election crisis or discuss martial law issues, and instead referred them to the White House. The White House declined to comment.
The report also said that, likewise, officers who are willing to talk about the issue insist on anonymity, fearing that public names may anger Trump
. They fear that open opposition to Trump’s plan to overturn the election results—whether it’s imposing martial law, sealing up voting machines, or preventing Congress from approving the results of the state electoral college on January 6—will actually prompt Trump to take such an action.
According to the report, a former commander of the Northern Command said: “At present, it is not clear what Trump will do next month.
While I believe the military leadership will act rationally, this madness is unprecedented, so we can’t rule out any possibility.”
