WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, Congressman Pat Ryan, an Army veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq, led 25 colleagues in strongly rejecting President Trump’s message to senior military officials at Marine Corps Base Quantico. 

“We write as freedom-loving Patriots to strongly reject both the rhetoric and substance of your remarks,” the lawmakers’ letter to President Trump began. “We know firsthand what it means to put our lives on the line for our country; and we urge you to hear us when we say that this is not what any of our brave young men and women in uniform signed up for.”

Addressing a group of more than 800 general and flag officers – each abruptly pulled from national security missions across the world – Trump doubled down on his unprecedented, unconstitutional deployment of U.S. troops against U.S. citizens in American cities. Trump ramped up his already extreme rhetoric, suggesting Democratic-run cities should be a “training ground” for troops, and that a major goal of the armed forces will be fighting the “war from within.” 

“What kind of message does that send to young Patriots, called to service because they love this country with such ferocity that they want to dedicate their lives to defending it, regardless of who happens to be in power?,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your actions will directly hurt our military in the long run – making every American less safe. In fact, they threaten the very fabric of that sacred apolitical relationship and our position as the world’s preeminent democracy. Men and women who have sacrificed everything to serve in uniform should not and cannot be used as political pawns to wage war against your political foes.”

“This nation and our Constitution demand an apolitical military,” the lawmakers concluded. “We’re teetering on the knife’s edge, and silence is not an option. It is on every Patriot, especially those who served, to stand up and stand against this blatant abuse of the world’s most lethal fighting force. We ignore this moment at the peril of ourselves, our children, and the very future of this country we love so dearly.”

Signers of Ryan’s letter to Trump include:

• Representative Wesley Bell (MO-01)
• Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
• Representative Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31)
• Representative Herbert Conaway (NJ-03)
• Representative Jason Crow (CO-06)
• Representative Christopher Deluzio (PA-17)
• Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-37)
• Representative Sarah Elfreth (MD-03)
• Representative John Garamendi (CA-08)
• Representative Maggie Goodlander (NH-02)
• Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06)
• Representative Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
• Representative Ted Lieu (CA-33)
• Representative Dave Min (CA-47)
• Representative Seth Moulton (MA-06)
• Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01)
• Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19)
• Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) 
• Representative Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
• Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10)
• Representative Mike Thompson (CA-04)
• Representative Derek Tran (CA-45)
• Representative Eugene Vindman (VA-07)
• Representative James Walkinshaw (VA-11) 

The full text of the letter is copied below.

Mr. President, 

We write as freedom-loving Patriots to strongly reject both the rhetoric and substance of your remarks at Marine Corps Base Quantico. In front of more than 800 general and flag officers, pulled from their critical missions around the world, you delivered an overtly partisan political speech and doubled down on your blatantly unconstitutional plans to deploy U.S. troops against U.S. citizens in American cities. As representatives of the American people we want to be clear: our constituents are not made safer by the deployment of American troops against their fellow citizens. In fact, this is deeply antithetical to our country’s founding values of liberty and justice.  

Many of us served in combat zones in America’s foreign wars – we know firsthand what it means to put our lives on the line for our country; and we urge you to hear us when we say that this is not what any of our brave young men and women in uniform signed up for.

You suggested that our men and women in uniform deploy on U.S. soil against American citizens, as “training grounds,” threatening something so deeply un-American it may break the fabric of our democracy and the bedrock principles of an apolitical military that this country was founded on.   

You looked our finest senior military leaders in the eyes and said “This is going to be a major part for some people in this room. It’s a war too, it’s a war from within.” You would rather the United States military respond to your partisan whims and political agenda than adhere to the Constitution and respond to the real threats that face this nation.

What kind of message does that send to young Patriots, called to service because they love this country with such ferocity that they want to dedicate their lives to defending it, regardless of who happens to be in power? 

Your actions will directly hurt our military in the long run – making every American less safe. In fact, they threaten the very fabric of that sacred apolitical relationship and our position as the world’s preeminent democracy. Men and women who have sacrificed everything to serve in uniform should not and cannot be used as political pawns to wage war against your political foes. As the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley said, “We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.” 

This nation and our Constitution demand an apolitical military. We’re teetering on the knife’s edge, and silence is not an option. It is on every Patriot, especially those who served, to stand up and stand against this blatant abuse of the world’s most lethal fighting force. We ignore this moment at the peril of ourselves, our children, and the very future of this country we love so dearly.

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