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.

  • HuddaBudda
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    -1111 months ago

    And Biden is letting Israel commit terrible atrocities. How do I defend this? When my choices are Authoritarianism vs Genocide

    You spend months defending Biden from Trump, and the only ammo they give you is that trump could be worse and now your tax dollars are going to kill babies.

    No minimum wage increase, no student loan forgiveness, no maternity leave, hell democrats are reneging on positions of progressiveness. And instead of ALL THAT, we are ruining our national image bombing kids in Gaza.

    So yes, there is a bit of evil logic that is going about and wondering if you should be the one to stand between a lawful evil vs. chaotic evil fight.

    • @Sanctus
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      711 months ago

      Those are not your choices. There is not a single incumbent or candidate that would protect Gaza’s citizens from this genocide. Look up who supports palestine in this conflict. It is not cabinent members, or congressional seats, but the very workers in the white house and Biden’s campaign speaking out. The affluent and powerful seem unable to see and/or recognize this for what it is. They refuse. Republicans would do no different. Every self-proclaimed Christian with a voter base would happily bomb Bethlehem right now. This is going to require more protesting than Vietnam did. If we want it to stop, we’ll have to force the hand that holds the pen. If you’re interested I suggest looking in your local area for protest groups.

    • fadingembers
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      411 months ago

      As an LGBT person I’d very much like the candidate that isn’t going to send me to detention camps please