David Cay Johnston on MSNBC just mentioned Trump might try to use military to retain power

[highplainsdem]

He thinks it's a real possibility.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. It's deja-vu all over again.

I remember that there was a fair amount of concern that Nixon would refuse to turn over the secret WH tapes despite the court order, and that he would use the military to resist complying with the order. But even Nixon had a few shreds of respect for the institutions of the government, while Trump seems to have none.

[lapfog_1]

41. we are close to here

[roamer65]

2. The military will fracture and certain states will announce plans for secession.

[HipChick]

3. Good luck with that...

[bdamomma]

4. heard that

Good that he is out of the country now, he's probably over the top now. tRump is very unpredictable which could be a very dangerous thing.

[dchill]

5. Then he'd be arrested.

[Gabi Hayes]

9. By this guy?

https://www.lipstickalley.com/attachments/img_20171101_161255-jpg.74740/

[dchill]

12. No - some previously unnoticed patriotic underling.

Jeffy is recused, remember?

[leftstreet]

6. I've heard this about every single POTUS since Nixon

I don't know why it keeps coming up

[FSogol]

53. They should work something about FEMA Trailers and Weather Machines into their theories.

It would make it more believable.

[scheming daemons]

7. I doubt the Pentagon brass are big fans of Trump.

They'd resist the orders.

[L. Coyote]

37. He should be worried they will get rid of him.

The US is probably closer to a coup with trump in office than ever before in history.

[Freethinker65]

8. President Bonespurs. Nah. I do not think so

[brooklynite]

10. Who's David Cay Jonston?

And why is this speculation any less silly than what a Fox News commentator would say?

[JI7]

11. Because we are talking about trump.

[brooklynite]

13. Unlike Fox viewers, I don't blindly accept what any Cable News pundit says.

[bettyellen]

16. The context of it was- how does it work serving the president papers and also how would

It happen if they had to subpoena records from the WH?
Basically everyone was explaining how it went down w Nixon and what various scenarios could happen if Trump was resisting the processes of our institutions. Basically to the point of not letting anyone on WH grounds. So it was just one of many comments speculating on all possibilities.

[Gabi Hayes]

14. Silly?

If you don’t know who he is.....why are you here???

seriesly

Try a little googling

Holy LORDY!

Sad!

[Gabi Hayes]

18. This took five whole seconds

https://www.c-span.org/video/?193674-3/offshore-tax-shelters

Next, try

Trump casino Johnston

So easy!

You can find out all by yourself!

Then try the Panama Papers

Then try dcreport.org

It’s not hard

You can do it!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

19. Gabi !!! :)

[Gabi Hayes]

23. How could I not? DCJ is an actual journalist, something severely endangered these days

As the other poster says, he probably knows more about hair shitler’s finances than anyone

Certainly more than T himself

[elleng]

29. Really!

[eleny]

24. He knows who Johnston is ...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10028792064

[Gabi Hayes]

25. Ahhhhhh

Ever try typing while snorting?

Made my day!

[eleny]

27. Too easy

Google "Site Search" is on every DU page.

[Gabi Hayes]

33. I use it alla time, but

how did you pose your inq?

I is not gud at that

[eleny]

60. Sorry for the delay - had to go to sleep

My search was the DU username and David Cay J's full name and it popped up in the list.

[JI7]

38. i guess that's the answer to his question

lol

[RandiFan1290]

46. OMC!

I mean OMG...That is hilarious!

[bdamomma]

17. David Cay Johnston

has known tRump for over 27 yrs, do a goggle search on him. You will be quite surprised what he knows about Donald.

[MFM008]

42. Yes didnt

He write 2 books on the maggot?
I'd rather study the ebola virus....

[late]

52. He is...

DCJ is a prof.

He is also a journalist, and has written a book about Trump (worth reading).

He's also written a book about what Republicans are doing, the title is something like It's Worse than you Think. I haven't read that yet.

He was also talking about a potential involvement with Russians during the campaign.

[dewsgirl]

54. It should scare us all, that it IS being discussed on channels that don't pander to conspiracy

Theorists.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

57. Whaaaaa?! So you never hung out with him a "Salon"? Good

heavens man!!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10028792064

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

63. David Cay Johnston is an investigative reporter

who writes mostly about tax and economic issues. He has a very long track record in this area. He's not a celebrity journalist, just one who is in the trenches covering this stuff.

His book Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense and Stick You With The Bill came out in 2007 and was scary enough back then.

I most recently heard him interviewed by Amy Goodman. Her show Democracy Now is one I wish everyone here would watch or listen to. i wake up to her every morning.

I'd bet that he is generally the smartest man in any room that he's in.

[TomSlick]

15. My expectation is that the military would refuse such an order.

Military officers' oath is to the constitution. That oath - for want of a better word - trumps the duty to obedience to the President. Military officers are taught from their earliest days they have a duty to disobey illegal orders - that obedience to orders is the "Nuremberg defense" and the Nuremberg defendants were hanged. After nearly thirty years of duty as an Army JAG, I know the lawyers would be screaming bloody murder threatening prosecution for sedition (Article 94, UCMJ).

I have no reason to believe that the military would participate in a coup d'etat.

[elleng]

30. Yes.

[Gabi Hayes]

35. How does one explain venal, lying barfbags like Kelly and Mattis,

pray tell?

Seems like they’d be good Germans, in the traditional sense, Nein?

[TomSlick]

65. I will allow that Kelly and Mattis are disappointing.

However, lying for the boss is a fundamentally different thing than an armed insurrection. If the US military takes part in a coup d'etat, my disappointment will be the least of our problems. Nevertheless, I see no reason to believe that any such order would be seriously considered. If some commander marched on DC, every other commander in the area would be obliged by the sedition provisions of the UCMJ to intervene.

There are a host of things to worry about these days. This one is way down the list.

[Gabi Hayes]

66. Agreed, of course, but the point is, these people have shown, so far, to be capable of saying and

Doing anything

Do you think the Germans thought Hitler would turn out like he did?

[TomSlick]

68. Surely they did.

It was all laid-out very clearly in Mein Kampf.

The disappointing bit from that story is that the Wehrmact succumbed and pledged its loyalty to Hitler personalty. I just don't believe the US military would go down that road. US soldiers are not nearly so compliant as pre-WWII German soldiers and they teach history at West Point.

[jalan48]

20. Maybe that's Trump final play. In your face, what are you going to do about it?

What would we do about it?

[TreasonousBastard]

21. Well, there's this Posse Comitatus thing that might get in the way.

[blueinredohio]

22. I've said all along if something happens we are going to have a hard time getting rid of him

He's going to call on his crazy base to defend him. Hopefully the military will be on our side.

[bdamomma]

49. of course

he is a demented man and his base is 36% with guns.

[standingtall]

26. I have no doubt that Trump would try to use the military

to retain power and anyone who thinks he wouldn't isn't paying attention. Thankfully I doubt the military would be on board with it.

[FSogol]

56. Exactly, remember when he tweeted that he wanted all the transgender troops removed?

The military ignored him.

[milestogo]

28. I think its highly unlikely that it would work.

[Lint Head]

31. This is one And there are Americans who are willing to die to keep that from happening.

[MFM008]

43. I hear you.

.......

[LudwigPastorius]

32. No worries. I have no doubt that, in such an eventuality, the military leadership would...

tell Trump to get fucked.

[sharedvalues]

34. I think I'm more scared of the "tactical" gun nuts that are 10% of his base.

[L. Coyote]

36. First, he'll need to turn the clock back to pre-dementia time.

Link to tweet

[doc03]

39. At this point nothing Trump did would surprise me, it is like a Twilight Zone episode.

[MFM008]

44. Only one episode?

I can think of about 3...

[defacto7]

40. With what there us to be concerned about

this is not even on my list.

[Lars39]

47. I cant be the only one remembering

Trump’s WH photo op with all the generals and spouses. Was he trying to cement their loyalty to him?

[Vinca]

48. At this point nothing would surprise. He's already got ICE all ginned up.

[Dreamer Tatum]

50. Yawn. I read this on DU almost weekly from 2001-2008. nt

[snowybirdie]

51. This guy is a bit kooky

He wrote a book about trumpy years ago and tried to capitalize on his "insight" for years. Only guest I saw that Rachel had to calm down. She did it politely, but he was going off the rails about trumpy's one page leaked tax return

[still_one]

58. It sure is, and it makes MSNBC look like they are entertaining the same conspirisy bullshit as fox

[Gabi Hayes]

59. Youre out of your mind, WADR

Do some reading on this thread alone, for starters

He’s one of the few journalists currently worthy of the term, and was simply answering the question put to him contextually

JFC

Jumpstart for the ignorant:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/03/15/david-cay-johnston/99202670/

Doesn’t even mention his key role in the panama Papers

JFC

[still_one]

55. That is bullshit. Not that he wouldn't wish that he could do it, he couldn't.

[Hoyt]

61. David Cay Johnson is spreading more BS. Despise trump, but Jeeez.

[lark]

62. He's try to mobilize the military and incite riots and chaos by his white neo-nazi supporters.

The military leaders appointed by him are loyalists to him and not our country and they would back him, but would the ordinary rank and file officer and service person follow the treasonous anti-American self protecting orders to hurt other Americans or destroy institutions? That's the real question.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

64. I have a high regard for Mr. Johnston,

but I'm hoping he's completely wrong about this.

I can see Trump attempting to do so, but I don't see him pulling it off. I think our military is far too smart to allow it.

[ehrnst]

67. After distracting everybody with some 2008 "breaking news" about Hillary... (nt)