Scoop: Generals privately brief news anchors, promise no military role in election

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: Axios

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley held an off-the-record video call with top generals and network anchors this weekend to tamp down speculation about potential military involvement in the presidential election, two people familiar with the call tell Axios.

The nation's top military official set up Saturday's highly unusual call to make clear that the military's role is apolitical, one of the sources said -- and to dispel any notion of a role for the military in adjudicating a disputed election or making any decision around removing a president from the White House.

Milley told the anchors that the U.S. military would have no role whatsoever in a peaceful transfer of power, one source added. One official told the anchors not to be alarmed if they see images of uniformed National Guard on Election Day; currently, they are not federalized but serving at the request of governors.

Through a spokesman, Milley and the other generals declined comment.


Read more: https://www.axios.com/milley-tv-anchors-call-military-no-election-role-1570714a-3532-4102-8f24-69fbd2d375e2.html

[Jarqui]

1. Sad that there even had to be such a report

But grateful that today should end such things with the American people firing Trump

[COL Mustard]

10. I Joined The Army in 1980

I never imagined a situation where the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the JCS would have to apologize for appearing with the Commander in Chief. These are truly unusual times.

Stay strong and keep the faith. The Republic will survive.

[Mr.Bill]

2. The fact that this call needed to be made at all

tells you all you need to know about where Trump has brought this country to.

And by the way, I don't believe a word the fucking general says. That also tells you where Trump has brought this country to.

[calimary]

18. trump sure took care of Milley's credibility, didn't he.

Sorry, Mark Milley. You could have said "no." You're soiled by this. It's a black mark you'll carry for the rest of your life.

[The Mouth]

3. 12/14 the Electoral College votes

We don't have an official result until then.

Once the decision is made, anyone on the right or left who doesn't accept it can be subject to any measures necessary. Prior to that any engaging in violence, right or left, should be charged with terrorism.

[sarge43]

4. In others words, no Praetorian Guard for you, Moron.

Unlike you, we know history and that has never ended well.

[Oscarthegreat]

5. Not so fast

The US military is prohibited of course from interfering in domestic politics, but they are sworn to protect the Constitution from foreign and domestic enemies. if Trump loses and refuses to step down he would become a domestic enemy, and it would be not only the general's right, but his sworn duty to remove him forcibly.

[Duppers]

12. ⬆ point.

[KatyMan]

13. How can he refuse to step down?

Once Biden is sworn in, Trump is no longer Prez, and him saying he is carries as much as if I said I was president.

[Neoma]

15. Can Trump try to prevent him from being sworn in?

[KatyMan]

16. Again, how?

I doubt Roberts would refuse to swear Biden in.

[Neoma]

17. His deplorables.

I'm thinking more physically than legally here.

[paleotn]

20. Other than a few isolated jack-o-loons....

they're grossly overrated. Our boogeyman to match the right's Antifa. And a overweight, out of shape, well passed their prime boogeyman. When it comes to actual organizing, planning and execution, even the isolated jack-o-loons are pathetic. The odds of any of them seriously disrupting the transfer of power in the most powerful nation the planet has ever seen is slim to none. Maybe a few incidents here and there that the media will blow out of proportion, but nothing more.

[zipplewrath]

19. Not really

You know what it takes to swear you in? A script, a book, and one other person. You can be sworn in by your neighbor. This isn't the lord of the rings or something. There's no magic ring, orb, or crown to be transferred. Quite honestly, his term would be over on Jan 20th at noon and nothing can be done about that.

[whopis01]

23. They said no military role in the election

Forcibly removing him from a location once his term has ended is very different than having a role in the election.

They won't remove him from office, but they might remove him from the grounds of the office he formerly held.

I very much doubt it would come to that though. I think he will be gone prior to Jan 20th.

[bdtrppr6]

6. yeah but the cops are in Trump's pocket n/t

[paleotn]

21. Ummm, no.

[hamsterjill]

7. No role in a peaceful transfer.

Carefully worded verbiage in my view.

[intheflow]

8. That was my take, too. Along with this line:

"...to dispel any notion of a role for the military in adjudicating a disputed election or making any decision around removing a president from the White House."

That says to me that they'll remove an illegal occupation of the WH if Congress orders it.

[oldsoftie]

9. I would think US Marshalls & Secret Service would handle that. Why the military?

Trump doesnt have his own army. Not a REAL one anyway.

[NurseJackie]

11. What a sad commentary that such assurances are needed.

[Mawspam2]

14. Fine, except that...

...in D.C., the National Guard is under the command of Bill Barr as there is no Governor there. If Trump bunkers down and the US military won't force the orange baby to leave, will this be a Kent State situation?

[paleotn]

22. Ummm, no. The Guard aren't automatons.

If Donnie Two Scoops leaves it will be with a whimper followed by a twitter tantrum. We give him far more credit than he's due.

[whopis01]

25. Yeah - exactly. n/t

[whopis01]

24. Trump doesn't have to leave the White House for Biden to become President.

At that point the election will have been long over, and any action taken by the military will be under the command of President Biden.

[calimary]

27. Welcome to DU, Mawspam2!

Sounds like a good argument for DC statehood. Besides, we'd get two more Democrats in the Senate and another Democrat to add to our House majority.

[Steelrolled]

26. Even the major news networks are being taken in by conspiracy theories.

The actually needed the military to tell them that. Sadly I don't see their tendency to follow rumors on social media changing.