Two days after the meeting at Quantico, Virginia of President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with hundreds of top Generals and Admirals, an unprecedented event in person of so many defense and security people in one location, the nation is reeling from the event.
Trump came across as showing clearcut evidence of massive physical and mental decline, more like a ranting, raving, embarrassing maniac than anything else.
One would think this was as if he was the leader of the Russian Federation, or of China, North Korea, Iran, Hungary, Turkey, Egypt, El Salvador, or other like minded dictatorships than the leader of the American Republic.
Hegseth came across as a cocky, arrogant, egomaniac, who demonstrated total racism, misogyny, homophobia, and clearly a Fascist oriented, incompetent womanizer with a major alcohol problem, and with zero qualifications to lead the nation’s defenses.
The Generals and Admirals at this shocking event stayed silent, as is required, rather than what Trump was asking, that they applaud him, and with a threat that any opposition expressed would lead to the end of theif careers.
But in the aftermath, retired military people communicated with many of these hundreds of military leaders, and there was a clearcut judgment that the gathered audience was stunned and had grim looks on their faces.
Since the military is supposed to be loyal to the Constitution and their oath of service to that document, not to any individual who happens to be President, one wonders whether elements of military leadership at some point might be ready to take action against any threat to the Constitution and rule of law, in some form.
The thought that this government, more Fascist and authoritarian oriented by the day, might spend the next three plus years further consolidating power, and denying basic human rights, makes one wonder what can or should be done about the dire threat to American democracy.
Will there be fair elections in 2026 and 2028, or will this authoritarianism suspend the heritage of free, fair, and regularly scheduled elections?
The future of American democracy and the rule of law may lie in what these military leaders decide is their duty as the threats grow of the loss of freedom for 330 million Americans!