Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 (as amended thru 2021) explicitly forbids this unless Trump invokes the insurrection act. Federal active duty troops cannot be used for general law enforcement activities.
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If Trump uses the 1807 Insurrection Act to deploy the military on USA soil, claiming US cities are under attack from a "Foreign Enemy", under NATO Article 5, aren't all NATO members obliged to consider it a collective attack on us all? He's really fkin dumb.
jun 12, 2025, 1:56 pm • 0 0 • view
It’s worth mentioning that I’m not sure how literate Kristi Noem is
jun 10, 2025, 3:12 am • 5 0 • view
All the stuff about criminal immigrants and Democratic politicians breaking the law - it’s just IMAX-level projection.
jun 10, 2025, 2:50 am • 1 0 • view
This might just be a case of Noem being really stupid. I think Hegseth knows his leash isn’t that long
jun 10, 2025, 2:38 am • 2 0 • view
While I am not a lawyer, ordering the army to start arresting civilians without invoking the insurrection act (which for my non-American friends is how declaring martial law in the US works) would be an explicitly illegal order. We are much closer to Colonel GreatMan making A Choice than I thought.
jun 10, 2025, 2:36 am • 245 51 • view
i mean, yes, but so far the marines haven't done anything of note. neither has the national guard- because there's no crisis!
jun 10, 2025, 2:40 am • 5 0 • view
Imagine having to fire on your countrymen for the dude who made you sleep on the ground without a fucking pillow.
jun 10, 2025, 2:43 am • 8 2 • view
(The insurrection act does not declare martial law)
jun 10, 2025, 2:52 am • 7 0 • view
Yeah, they're rapidly setting up an unsustainable scenario, and while I think the military would do a coup before they would follow orders to fire on civilians, it's not a wager I want to make, and it's not going to be pretty whatever unfolds.
jun 10, 2025, 5:08 am • 3 0 • view
Also, there’s definitionally no way the military can stay neutral in this position. Either they follow the order and play a part in regime consolidation, or they refuse it, and that’s basically a coup. Neither option is good!
jun 10, 2025, 2:41 am • 150 17 • view
yay So much to look forward to these days. And yet I ain’t giving up on this country.
jun 10, 2025, 2:50 am • 7 0 • view
I could see the Marines going, but refusing to go anywhere besides Federal building (as defending things like embassies is within their purview)
jun 10, 2025, 2:55 am • 23 0 • view
More generally, that's at least a defensible interpretation of what the law Trump's using allows. Soldiers doing law enforcement on the streets more widely is much more doubtful
jun 10, 2025, 10:06 am • 1 0 • view
They can follow the order minimally, only the legal parts, and wander around looking for people to arrest, but not find any. If they only follow legal orders, it's not a coup. That doesn't make them safe at all, but may be the safest option.
jun 10, 2025, 6:59 am • 0 0 • view
I don’t agree refusing an illegal order is a coup. Refusing illegal orders means the system is upheld, not undermined. Violating posse comitatus is punishable by 2 years in jail. It’s appropriate for the battalion commander to say “I won’t obey that order because my Marines might go to prison”
jun 10, 2025, 5:43 am • 12 2 • view
Also people in the military disobey or ignore orders they don’t like all the time. Often, it’s just kind of ignored because it makes the superior look weak if they acknowledge their subordinates ignored them
jun 10, 2025, 5:45 am • 4 0 • view
There are many ways the Marine Corps can avoid letting Hegseth order Marines to shoot protestors without explicitly disobeying an order. It’s a long chain from SecDef to rifleman and he can’t personally verify every link
jun 10, 2025, 5:46 am • 3 0 • view
The Marine Corps is probably more willing to take risks, including insubordination, to avoid shooting protestors than other parts of the military. Shooting protestors is existential risk to the Marine Corps’ existence in a way that’s not true for other services/units.
jun 10, 2025, 5:50 am • 3 0 • view
The Marine Corps is perfectly capable of directly opposing a President if they think he’s a threat to their existence as an organization. Truman tried to get rid of the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps opposed him and won. They know what they are doing politically.
jun 10, 2025, 5:52 am • 3 0 • view
Every Marine officer is taught that American only has a Marine Corps because it wants a Marine Corps. Therefore, it is every Marine’s responsibility to act in a way that makes Americans want a Marine Corps. It’s hard to think of anything more likely to do the opposite than shooting protestors.
jun 10, 2025, 5:57 am • 2 0 • view
I don’t think non-Marines, including other servicemembers, understand how paranoid Marines are about this. Fear of being eliminated as an organization affects every medium to large decision the Marine Corps makes. That’s part of what makes it effective. It cannot be complacent and survive.
jun 10, 2025, 5:59 am • 2 0 • view
Hegseth and Caine don’t get this because they are ANG and Air Force. Culturally, those are the two services farthest from the Marine Corps. Hegseth sent Marines because they are close and he thinks it creates an image of toughness. He has actually created an existential threat to the service.
jun 10, 2025, 6:03 am • 1 0 • view
Refusing an illegal order isn't a coup. It would only be a coup of they stopped following lawful orders. They serve the office of the president and the constitution, not the man.
jun 10, 2025, 5:38 am • 1 0 • view
yeah, the collapse of the wave function is not pretty, either way.
jun 10, 2025, 3:17 am • 8 0 • view
excited to see how this plays out with my spouse in-country!
jun 10, 2025, 5:12 am • 2 0 • view
yeaaaaah I dunno whether this will resolve before my next scheduled US trip, guess we'll see what the spice levels are come July. worried about @binaryvixen899.bsky.social and @lydz.bsky.social regardless.
jun 10, 2025, 5:14 am • 3 0 • view
Electing psychopaths who cant or won't use their power responsibly, including the power of civilian command and control, makes everyone have to make terrible choices than makes everyone act worse.
jun 10, 2025, 2:55 am • 6 0 • view
Maybe the series finale for America is the military couping Trump during his birthday parade?
jun 10, 2025, 3:21 am • 8 0 • view
I been hoping and praying
jun 10, 2025, 3:43 am • 1 0 • view
Functionally I agree that it's either taking part in regime consolidation or fatally undermining the administration ... but I don't think it's a coup considering it's the law for them to refuse in that situation. No more than impeachment/removal is a coup.
jun 10, 2025, 3:09 am • 7 0 • view
yeah, the Cool Zone event horizon is rapidly approaching, and I do not like it
jun 10, 2025, 2:37 am • 19 0 • view
it really helps sending them there without beds or toilets
jun 10, 2025, 2:39 am • 4 0 • view
Give him a week. DC will be filled with the military. He will have a few more days to poke the bear in California to allow him to use the Insurrection Act, and he will be Canada for the G7.
jun 10, 2025, 3:16 am • 0 0 • view
On the one hand you have your nice little words on paper. On the other hand we have the generalissimo with his finger on the button.
jun 10, 2025, 7:38 pm • 0 0 • view
If the marines hit the ground somewhere, regardless of how and what they’re doing, there needs to be a different member pushing impeachment papers daily. Maybe more than once a day if you’ve got the time
jun 10, 2025, 2:35 am • 2 0 • view
I wonder if they’ll say it’s fine as long as they arnt making arrest. Similar to the southern border policy.
jun 10, 2025, 2:36 am • 2 0 • view
Trump's only interest is to make war on the American people who are disloyal to his deranged agenda. bsky.app/profile/pete...
jun 12, 2025, 7:43 pm • 0 0 • view