CHIEF HYPOCRITE

Chief Hypocrite: Donald Trump’s Cynical Exploitation of the U.S. Military

Donald Trump is not a commander-in-chief. He is a hypocrite-in-chief, and his relationship with the military is a grotesque display of political opportunism, narcissism, and fraud. A man who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War with flimsy medical excuses now struts about like a wartime general, summoning military forces to salute him, not the flag or the Constitution.

It would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous.

A History of Contempt

Trump’s disdain for those who serve has been documented for years. He famously ridiculed Senator John McCain, saying, “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” This wasn’t a slip of the tongue. It was a window into Trump’s hollow soul, where empathy has no place, and honor is measured not by sacrifice but by ego-stroking adoration.

He referred to fallen American soldiers as “suckers” and “losers,” according to multiple credible reports, including those from The Atlantic. He skipped visits to military cemeteries in Europe because it might mess up his hair. He has denigrated Gold Star families, disabled veterans, and wounded warriors, mocking, dismissing, and using them as political props only when convenient.

This is not a man who honors the military. This is a man who uses the military.

From Dodging to Dominating

Trump’s draft deferments during Vietnam, five of them, one allegedly for “bone spurs,” were the first chapter in his lifelong avoidance of service. He has never risked anything for this country. Yet now, he wraps himself in the flag, flanked by Marines, implying that he alone represents strength, order, and patriotism.

What he represents is a perverse form of militarized narcissism.

He does not view the military as a sacred institution. He views it as a stage prop, an extension of his ego, and a tool for his authoritarian ambitions. Whether it’s demanding military parades, calling in troops for photo ops, or allegedly summoning Marines in Los Angeles for domestic intimidation, Trump’s use of the armed forces is not about defense—it’s about domination.

He sees himself not as a servant of the republic but as a king, entitled to the loyalty of “his” military.

Marines for the Monarch

The latest incident involving the deployment of Marines in Los Angeles has raised deep alarm. This is not for security reasons or strategy. Still, because it fits a pattern: Trump seems increasingly willing to blur the line between civilian command and military allegiance, between the republic and his personal rule.

When he parades military might as if it were his birthright, the message is chillingly clear: the Constitution is optional, and the military is his to command, not to protect the country, but to protect him.

This is not patriotism. It is proto-fascism.

The Cult of Military Worship For One Man

Real leaders honor the troops by respecting their sacrifice, listening to their generals, and keeping their missions grounded in constitutional values. Trump does none of this. He purged military leadership when they disagreed with him, encouraged political generals, and undermined the very principle of civilian control of the military, a cornerstone of American democracy.

And now, like every would-be autocrat before him, he seeks to cloak himself in military symbolism to intimidate rather than to inspire.

His base sees the uniform and salutes him. But the rest of us see something else: a coward who never served, masquerading as a warrior, the ultimate betrayal of every true patriot who ever put their life on the line for this country.

The Danger Ahead

Let us be clear: the U.S. military does not owe its allegiance to Donald Trump. It swears an oath to the Constitution of the United States, and that oath is being tested now more than ever.

If Trump continues to exploit the armed forces for his gain, then every American who believes in civilian rule, democratic values, and the rule of law must speak up.

Because if the military becomes his instrument of enforcement, then democracy will have no defense left.

Final Word

History will not be kind to Donald Trump. It will not remember him as a warrior or a statesman. It will remember him as a chief hypocrite who used soldiers for pageantry demeaned their sacrifices, and tried to crown himself king on the backs of the people he once called losers.

It is the duty of every veteran, every citizen, and every person who still believes in the republic to say what must be said:

You, Mr. Trump, are no commander. You are a coward cloaked in stars and stripes you never earned.

William James Spriggs