1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing to express my grave concern over the dangerous politicization of our armed forces under President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which severely compromises our national security amidst ongoing operations in Iran. The administration’s unprecedented purge of non-partisan military leadership—including the abrupt firings of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. C.Q. Brown, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti—signals an alarming shift toward prioritizing ideological loyalty over strategic expertise. Furthermore, Secretary Hegseth’s personal intervention to block military promotion lists—overriding selection boards after conducting political online vetting of officers—erodes the merit-based foundation of our armed services. Sidelining seasoned leaders like Gen. George, Gen. David Hodne, and Maj. Gen. William Green during active conflict undermines military readiness and creates a chilling effect where strategic candidness is replaced by partisan compliance. When political optics dictate defense decisions, our service members bear the cost of unvetted, flawed policy. As your constituent, I urge you to exercise rigorous congressional oversight, reassert war powers authority, and protect our military from political machinations. We must preserve an apolitical, professional military dedicated strictly to national defense. Thank you for your assistance in this issue.