This story was originally published by Dermot Cole, Reporting from Alaska.
Sen. Dan Sullivan’s blood should be boiling about now about the use of military members for domestic political purposes, if we are to take him at his word.
A president using active duty military members as a prop is “shameful, outrageous, infuriating” behavior, Sullivan said two years ago during a Senate hearing at which he berated the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and the defense secretary about the sins of Joe Biden.
“I told General (Mark) Milley and Secretary (Lloyd) Austin, the next time some White House staffer thinks it’s a good idea to use Marines as political props, you need to put your foot down and not only say ‘no,’ but ‘hell no,’” Sullivan said on March 28, 2023.
But Sullivan’s rage that the military must say “no” or “hell no” about using troops for political purposes evaporated when Donald Trump returned to office. It’s now “yes” or “hell yes.”
Sullivan’s blood isn’t boiling about Trump’s speech this week at Fort Bragg, where the soldiers selected for prop duty were selected based on their appearance — no fat soldiers allowed — and their politics, according to reporting by military.com.
Trump’s speech contained a pack of lies and was as partisan as any campaign rally in history.
Trump made the troops part of his speech and egged them to boo his political enemies and the press. He acts as if it is his right to claim the military as an element of his political faction, stressing loyalty to Trump. This is dangerous territory.
“Deploying the military against peaceful protests and encouraging the troops to boo members of the opposition are two decisions that get us much closer to truly catastrophic outcomes,” writes Carleton College history professor Stephen Saideman.
Sullivan will say nothing of substance about Trump using soldiers as political props or as weapons in his political campaign against state leaders who do not kiss the ring.
Sullivan refused to say anything when Alaska Public Media reporter Liz Ruskin asked him about Trump’s decision to send Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“Talk to me about the Marine deployments in Los Angeles?” Ruskin asked.
Instead of answering the question, he took cover and declined to talk.
“Sorry,” Sullivan said. He ducked into an elevator and was gone.
The only thing to be sorry about here is Sullivan’s behavior. His office issued a statement later saying he was OK with what Trump was doing. No surprise there.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Marines should not be deployed against fellow Americans, a position that the pre-Trump Republican party would have understood.
Not any more.
Back in 2022, Sullivan gave an extended diatribe attacking Joe Biden for the Philadelphia speech at which Biden said Trump and his movement threaten the foundations of our republic.
Biden had two Marines stand as a backdrop behind him, an obvious political prop that drew Sullivan’s anger.
Sullivan went on the Senate floor with a political prop of his own—an enlarged photograph of Biden speaking with Marines behind the president.
“Every time I look at it, my blood boils,” Sullivan said of the photo. “And so should every American’s blood boil.”
Sullivan attacked Biden for having had five military deferments during the Vietnam War, complained that Biden doesn’t support the military and objected to a lack of cabinet members with military experience. (Trump had four student deferments and his famous bone spurs.)
Every president and many members of Congress compete to wrap themselves in military images and symbolism for political marketing. Sullivan does it all the time.
“Look at that. Look at that,” Sullivan said of the blood-boiling photo.
“In my view a sickening abuse of authority from a commander in chief who’s never served in the military — I think he got five Vietnam deferments — and knows nothing about the Marine Corps ethos of honor, courage, commitment.”
“He gave this speech against a blood-red backdrop, fists clenched. Look at him. Yelling at millions of his fellow Americans. Embrace anger. While he embraced the anger in his speech. And chaos,” Sullivan complained about Biden.
“He went on and on. The insults. Very partisan. Somewhat deranged, attacking tens of millions of his fellow Americans,” said Sullivan.
“Remember, when General Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and was Chairman under President Trump as well, released a video where he apologized for standing beside the President, then President Trump, when that could have been perceived as political. This is what General Milley said: ‘I should have not been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military being involved in domestic politics.’”
“I thought that was a good speech by General Milley. He made a mistake. He apologized and that was the right thing to do. Mr. President. This is much worse. This is much worse, these Marines, unlike General Milley, they’re being ordered to stand next to the President of the United States while he rants against millions of his own fellow Americans and the President certainly didn’t apologize for this speech,” Sullivan said in 2022.
What Trump did at Fort Bragg this week was far worse than Biden standing in front of two Marines. Trump was deranged, partisan and insulting. Expect more of the same at Trump’s costly parade this weekend.
But you won’t hear any complaints from Sullivan. Sorry indeed.
Dermot Cole has worked as a newspaper reporter, columnist and author in Alaska for more than 40 years. Support his work here.
