President Trump’s call to use U.S. cities as military training grounds is “deeply concerning and un-American”

In response to President Trump calling for the military to use U.S. cities as “training grounds” and target “the enemy from within” at an event that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia and required several top brass military generals to attend, Issue One Vice President of Advocacy Alix Fraser issued the following statement:

“One of the central pillars of American democracy is that the military stays out of politics. The military’s loyalty is to the Constitution and the American people, not a single leader. President Trump suggesting the use of military force against U.S. citizens and cities is deeply concerning and un-American.

“These dangerous comments are part of a broader trend by the Trump administration to normalize the use of emergency powers to justify executive overreach and circumvent Congress, eroding the checks and balances fundamental to our constitutional order. This backsliding not only weakens our democracy but undermines the military’s ability to carry out its true mission: protecting U.S. national security.

“Congress must stop the abuses of presidential power that threaten to co-opt the military for partisan purposes and personal gain. It should do so by updating the Posse Comitatus Act — a law that draws a clear line between military power and civilian law enforcement. By addressing ambiguities in this law that have allowed for the use of broad emergency powers in non-emergency situations, Congress could prevent the federal government from deploying troops in cities and states under the guise of maintaining order. With bold, swift action, Congress can uphold our Founders’ vision of a military that swears its loyalty to the Constitution rather than to the whims of the executive.”