never go full brandon
What exactly did Mattis mean by saying, “We can unite without him”? General Mattis brushed aside the widespread riots, looting, arson, and murders sweeping America, by saying, “We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers.” During the week of June 7th, 2020, retired General Colin Powell led other retired military leaders in blasting the commander-in-chief. Powell praised other officers who had spoken out against the President in recent days. General Powell echoed General Mattis’ denunciations of the President, saying he agreed that Trump is the first President in his lifetime who is not trying to unite the country.
(As an aside, I would point out that it was Gen. Colin Powell, who famously waved a test tube mimicking sarin gas, deceitfully urging the UN to support the invasion of Iraq. His guile and deception led to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the killing of 2 million innocent people.)
Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) prohibits retired officers from using contemptuous words against the President of the United States. It is difficult to justify legally many of these officers’ comments. In many instances, the contemptuousness toward the President appears to violate criminal law.
Taken together, the coordinated release of scathing remarks by senior officials, coupled with publication of a letter advocating a military coup, suggests a deep sickness within the Pentagon and within our constitutional structure. To my knowledge, neither the Secretary of Defense nor the service chiefs have taken action against the widely publicized talk of military insurrection. General Milley should refer the colonels’ letter to the Legal Counsel for the Joint Chiefs to determine whether its publication violates the UCMJ.