Aerial view of the Pentagon building, photographed on September 24, 2017.
Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Group | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – As President Donald Trump struggles to fuel the claims of a stolen election in the last days of his government, the country’s ten living defense secretaries warned on Sunday that the U.S. military should have no role in determining the outcome of the American elections.
“Each of us has taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We do not swear to an individual or a party,” wrote Defense Secretaries Mark Esper, James Mattis, Ash Carter, Chuck Hagel , Leon Panetta, Dick Cheney, William Cohen, Robert Gates, William Perry and Donald Rumsfeld in an opinion article published on Sunday in The Washington Post.
“Efforts to involve the US armed forces in resolving electoral disputes would take us into dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional territory,” wrote the former defense secretaries.
“Civilian and military officials who direct or execute such measures would be responsible, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the serious consequences of their actions in our republic,” they added.
Former defense secretaries, who have collectively oversaw US military forces for nearly 50 years, have argued that “the time to question the results” of the US presidential election has passed.
“Our elections took place. Recounts and audits were carried out. The appropriate disputes were dealt with by the courts. The governors certified the results. And the polling station voted. The time to question the results has passed; the time for formal counting of the polling station votes. , as prescribed in the Constitution and the statute, have arrived, “wrote the former defense secretaries, including two who served under Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Defense Secretary James Mattis (L) watches during a meeting with senior military leaders in the White House Cabinet Room on October 5, 2017.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
The secretaries appealed to Trump’s defense secretary, Christopher Miller, as well as political appointees and public officials, to “refrain from any political actions that would undermine the election results or hinder the success of the new team.”
“We urge them, in the most energetic terms, to do as so many generations of Americans did before them. This final action is in keeping with the highest traditions and professionalism of the US armed forces and the history of democratic transition in our great country” , they wrote.
Trump, despite a series of failed legal challenges, did not grant the election to Democrat Joe Biden, who will take office on January 20. Instead, Trump made false allegations of a rigged election and put pressure on members from his own party to engage in conspiracies to reverse Biden’s victory, attacking when they express opposition to his plans.
Over the weekend, Trump’s ambitions came to light in an extraordinary phone call that was leaked to Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State.
During the call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the president said he wanted to “find 11,780 votes” that would nullify Biden’s victory in Georgia, according to audio obtained by NBC News.
Raffensperger resisted pressure from Trump to change the election results in Georgia, even when the president made veiled threats about a possible criminal case if he was refused.
At least 12 Republican senators have asked Congress to postpone certifying Biden’s victory during a joint session on Wednesday. Vice President Mike Pence, who will chair the session, welcomed the move by the senators, which has no chance of success because Democrats control the House and several Republicans oppose the move.
Republican senators Mitt Romney of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, among others, expressed strong opposition to attempts to reverse Biden’s victory.
Pro-Trump protests are scheduled to take place on Wednesday in the nation’s capital, while Congress meets to certify Biden as the new president and Kamala Harris as vice president. Trump said he would attend the protests.