A WARNING TO THE RANKS

A Warning to the Ranks: The Constitution, Not Trump, Commands Your Allegiance

In 1964, when I accepted my commission as a Marine officer, I swore an oath:

“I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic… and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”

Every officer in every branch swears that same oath. That oath is not to a man. Not to a political party. Not to Donald Trump. It is to the Constitution, our supreme law, the very foundation of our republic.

The Bedrock Principles of Military Service

Officers are taught from day one that the military is apolitical. We do not take sides in elections. We do not allow ourselves to be weaponized by any political faction. Our mission is to carry out lawful objectives as directed by civilian leadership, provided those orders are consistent with the Constitution.

We were also taught the principle behind the Posse Comitatus Act: the military is not to be used as an internal police force against the American people. To do so is the tool of tyrants, not republics. And above all, we were schooled in the Uniform Code of Military Justice: obey lawful orders, refuse unlawful ones.

Trump’s Plan Is Not Hidden

Donald Trump has already made it clear what he intends. He has bragged about being a dictator “on day one.” He has surrounded himself with ideologues who seek to dismantle the professional, apolitical character of the armed forces and bend them to his personal will. He wants a military that will act against fellow citizens, labeling them “domestic enemies” when in truth they are political opponents exercising their constitutional rights.

This is not conjecture. This is his stated goal, and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 spells it out: purge professional officers, replace them with loyalists, and ensure that the military answers to Trump alone. That is the playbook of a dictator.

The Trap He Will Set

Understand this: Trump will try to manufacture a domestic “emergency.” He will claim that protesters, political opponents, journalists, or ordinary citizens are “enemies of the state.” He will invoke the Insurrection Act or bypass it altogether. He will order the armed forces to suppress dissent, to arrest political foes, to terrorize citizens into submission.

He will rely on hesitation, hoping that officers will be too stunned, too uncertain, or too afraid of disobedience to act. That is how democracies fall, not with the consent of the military, but with its silence.

The Duty to Refuse

Every officer must prepare now for that moment. The obligation is clear: illegal orders must not be obeyed. The unlawful use of the armed forces against the American people would be just such an order.

If Trump orders the military to act as his private police force, the duty of every officer, Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Guardian is to say no. To refuse. To resign if necessary. To remember the oath: support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The Moment of Truth Approaches

The strength of our republic rests not on words, but on the courage of those who uphold them. If the armed forces surrender their independence to a dictator, the Constitution is shredded, and America as we know it is gone.

The military must hold the line. Officers must steel themselves now. The test is coming. Trump has told us his plan. We cannot pretend surprise when he executes it.

When that moment comes, remember: the Constitution, not Trump, not any president, commands your allegiance. If you bow to a man instead of the law, you have betrayed your oath, your uniform, and your country.

William James Spriggs