Among those being mentioned for Trump’s secretary of defense are Christopher Miller, who served temporarily during his administration, Michael Flynn and Mike Pompeo.

Among those being mentioned for Trump’s secretary of defense are Christopher Miller, who served temporarily during his administration, Michael Flynn and Mike Pompeo.

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.

A circle of appointees independent of Trump’s political operation steered him away from ideas that would have pushed the limits of presidential power in his last term, according to books they’ve written and testimony given to Congress. Most were gone by the end. In a new term, many former officials worry that Trump would instead surround himself with loyalists unwilling to say no.

Trump has raised fresh questions about his intentions if he regains power by putting forward a legal theory that a president would be free to do nearly anything with impunity — including assassinate political rivals — so long as Congress can’t muster the votes to impeach him and throw him out of office.

  • winterayars
    8·
    11 months ago

    Remember that time Federal marshals shot a man to death in broad daylight and nothing came of it? Fun times.

    • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.worldEnglish
      31·
      11 months ago

      Wasn’t the guy a nutty Trump supporter threatening people? I’m also pretty sure the guy was armed and got way more time than any black dude would have.

      If I’m recalling the right instance that is.

      • winterayars
        5·
        11 months ago

        This is the one i’m referring to.

        (Though don’t trust the details there, the whole story fell apart as soon as scrutiny was applied. The NYT (i think, it’s paywalled) did a follow up where they basically determined federal marshals just rolled up on the dude in the middle of the street and shot him in cold blood.)

        • DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          11 months ago

          Thanks for the follow up.

          Okay yeah i remember this one, honestly I’m not surprised this one played out how it did, Reinoehl was a highly aggressive dude, especially towards cops, he’d been suspected of murder, and then you have the Orange asshole in the white house saying dumb shit and as usual, throwing gasoline on the already inflammable situation.