1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I write to you today as a deeply concerned constituent regarding a pattern of behavior by President Donald Trump that I believe demonstrates a fundamental unfitness for the office of Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces. On April 6, 2026, during a White House press conference regarding the rescue of two U.S. airmen in Iran, President Trump publicly asked Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine — on live television, in front of the assembled press corps — how many troops were deployed in the rescue operation. General Caine, in what can only be described as a desperate act of damage control, responded: “I’d love to keep that a secret.” Despite this direct intervention from the nation’s top military officer, Trump initially agreed to keep it secret but then revealed “hundreds, and hundreds” of troops were involved. This incident did not occur in a vacuum. It is part of a deeply troubling and well-documented pattern: ∙ When asked whether all of his military advisers had supported the rescue mission, Trump admitted: “There were people within the military that said this is not a wise…” — before catching himself. His own generals told him not to do it. He did it anyway. ∙ Earlier in his current term, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth inadvertently shared specific weapons systems, targets, and strike timing details through a commercial Signal group chat — with a journalist accidentally included. National security experts raised serious concerns about possible violations of the Espionage Act and federal records laws. Military veterans noted that lower-ranking service members would face immediate firing, removal from classified access, and criminal prosecution for comparable breaches. ∙ During his first term, prosecutors alleged Trump retained documents concerning the nuclear programs of the United States, shared classified information about a “plan of attack” against another country with a writer and publisher at his golf club, and shared a classified map related to an ongoing military operation with a PAC representative who had no security clearance. ∙ Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham stated plainly: “I watched him show documents to people at Mar-a-Lago on the dining room patio. He has no respect for classified information, never did.” The men and women of our armed forces risk their lives trusting that their Commander-in-Chief will protect operational security. Hundreds of Americans were put in mortal danger, and the most frightening thing is that this is the man with the nuclear codes. I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to use the full authority of your office — through oversight hearings, legislative action, or any constitutional remedy available — to hold this administration accountable. No person, regardless of office, should be permitted to casually compromise classified military operations and endanger American lives without consequence. The safety of our troops and the security of our nation demand action. I am watching, and I will remember.