Donald Trump is set to resume his sometimes fraught relationship with the military as commander-in-chief, promising to keep US troops out of wars abroad while possibly using them on the streets at home.
As with many subjects, Trump has made contradictory comments about American forces, at times lauding their power while also claiming they were depleted and in need of rebuilding.
He at times clashed with his generals during his 2016-2020 term in office and caused shock by reportedly referring to fallen troops as “losers” and “suckers” — something he denied.
More recently, his staff sparked controversy by shoving an employee at Arlington, the country’s most hallowed military cemetery.
Suggestions that he could deploy the military to handle domestic opponents or migrants could pose serious dilemmas for troops if put into practice during his second term, said Kathleen McInnis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.
“Soldiers are required to not follow illegal orders, but the line between legal and illegal in some of these instances can be murky,” she said.
Trump told Time magazine earlier this year that his plan for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants would involve the National Guard, “but if I thought things were getting out of control, I would have no problem using the military.”
More recently, he told Fox News that “the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” saying that “sick people, radical left lunatics” should be “handled” by the National Guard or military if needed.
He has also reportedly floated the idea of using US special operations personnel to kill drug kingpins in Mexico, while insisting that he would avoid major entanglements abroad for the world’s most powerful military.
He will take office faced with major crises in the Middle East and Europe — which he has claimed he will quickly resolve
‘Fraught’
Some senior officials who worked closely with Trump during his first term have since delivered withering judgments on his character.
His former chief of staff and retired general John Kelly told the New York Times recently that the Republican fits the definition of a fascist, while Mark Milley — the top US military officer under Trump — reportedly described him as a “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country.”
But how is he viewed by those in uniform?
“The generals and admirals that worked for him during the first term described a fraught relationship with President Trump,” McInnis said.
The president-elect has a history of ruffling feathers with his remarks about the military, though it is unclear if that has harmed his popularity with US troops.
It’s difficult to determine the views of currently serving military personnel due to the armed forces’ long-held policy of remaining politically neutral.
Kamala Harris criticized Trump’s history of negative remarks about the military in a speech shortly before the election, saying she “will always honor, never denigrate the service and sacrifice of our troops and their families.”
But Trump was ultimately victorious — a win that will likely spell major changes for the US relationship with NATO as well as its backing for Ukraine.
“I expect that we may see things like ‘quiet quitting’ NATO; ending the war in Ukraine by forcing Ukrainian capitulation; and a deep focus on China and Taiwan,” McInnis said of Trump’s likely national security policy.