Back in November, a sitting congressman tweeted that if Donald Trump "seizes power" by winning the 2024 election, he will put tanks in the streets against his enemies. He even accompanied this warning with a graphic of a tank on a suburban street with a Trump bumper stick on it and said he'd "post this repeatedly so no one can say they haven’t been told."
Why didn't Trump do that in his first term? Why didn't he send tanks to the Capitol?
Remember back when we learned that now-retired General Mark Milley secretly called his Chinese counterpart four days before the 2020 election and assured him that if the United States were going to attack China, he would give them advance notice? That sure sounded like treason to a lot of people, but progressives praised Milley as a great patriot.
NBC News is reporting that some deep-staters are "quietly devising plans" to foil any effort by Trump to pressure the U.S. military to carry out his political agenda:
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. https://t.co/jLbRqC2riT
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 14, 2024
"Fears grow that Trump will use the military in ‘dictatorial ways’ if he returns to the White House," reads the headline.
Peter Nicholas, Katherine Doyle, Megan Lebowitz, and Courtney Kube report:
Donald Trump is sparking fears among those who understand the inner workings of the Pentagon that he would convert the nonpartisan U.S. military into the muscular arm of his political agenda as he makes comments about dictatorship and devalues the checks and balances that underpin the nation’s two-century-old democracy.
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Now, bracing for Trump’s potential return, a loose-knit network of public interest groups and lawmakers is quietly devising plans to try to foil any efforts to expand presidential power, which could include pressuring the military to cater to his political needs.
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.
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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.
"To challenge Trump from day one," huh? How is that any different from 2016? They were calling for Trump's impeachment before he was even sworn in.
This is disturbing.
Never forget this tweet for the rest of your life. This is an admitted plan, in advance, for the military to no longer observe the military chain of command. This is military-run government. This is a plan to end civilian-run government. https://t.co/7SRcM7JHDG
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) January 14, 2024
They're declaring a coup in advance.
— Albert Latham (@albert1776) January 14, 2024
Ah. Using the military to subvert an elected President.
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) January 14, 2024
We’re really not half-assing this Banana Republic thing are we https://t.co/lUrGnTzxlO
We have crossed so many terrible rubicons at this point…..
— EmoneGenX (@EmOneGenX) January 14, 2024
It’s kinda terrifying.
Peak hypocrisy. Spelling out a literal coup while accusing the opposition of the same.
— Compass | Prime (@PlotACourse) January 14, 2024
Furthermore, the POTUS is the only elected office in the federal executive branch.
— Kit (@luvkit) January 14, 2024
If the military does not take orders from the people's sole representative, then we no longer have a democracy. We'll literally be in a military dictatorship.
This is treason.
— Lisa (@kittywhisperer7) January 14, 2024
This is just like the “fortifying” the election article. They are rolling out advance cover for their planned actions.
— Kristen Kate (@KristenKate14) January 15, 2024
In fairness, the only thing they know about civics/government is "orange man bad". College only prepared them to be victims and activists, not think critically.
— Evan Georgeson (@evan_georgeson) January 14, 2024
What beautifully soft framing for your article about how Democrats are plotting to have the military undermine the Constitution and civilian control.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 14, 2024
I’ve reread this NBC headline a few times. Despite feeling like nothing shocks me anymore, this not only shocks me but frightens me that the general public doesn’t even flinch after reading this.
— Pierre M Dejean (@Pierremd6) January 14, 2024
The fact that they’re reporting it, with the collaboration of those involved, shows how completely unaware they are that there might be anything wrong with this.
— Dan Krishock (@dkrishock) January 15, 2024
How much more in the bubble can you be?
There’s a guy in prison for 18 years for something not even close to this.
— Jacque (@Jajngn) January 15, 2024
Never forget: Democrats do what they blame others of doing. Every allegation. Every time.
— TexasPatriot (@Richard22980) January 15, 2024
This is really disturbing, and not in the way NBC News thinks it is. Trump's campaign rhetoric is over the top, they say. And they're taking it all literally.
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