1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

I am writing because I am deeply alarmed by what unfolded at Quantico last Thursday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unprecedented gathering of hundreds of top generals and admirals, followed by his speech about “warrior ethos,” “liberation of America’s warriors,” and his attack on so-called “woke” military leaders, was frightening enough. But when President Trump took the stage and delivered what amounted to a campaign-style rally speech—slurring words, ridiculing past presidents, and threatening to use the military against American cities—it felt less like the United States of America and more like the rise of a dictatorship. I did not serve in the military, but I have tremendous respect for those who have. They swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not to obey the whims of any one man. The soldiers who gave their lives for this country must be rolling in their graves at the thought of our armed forces being turned into a political tool. The Department of Defense exists to deter war and keep peace—not to be turned into a Department of War for partisan showmanship. Watching this shift in tone and purpose is terrifying. This was not leadership. It was posturing, and it was dangerous. It put hundreds of top commanders in one place, at enormous cost and strategic risk, all to deliver rhetoric designed to weaken public trust in our military’s professionalism and independence. What I saw was not just embarrassing. It was chilling. It looked like an authoritarian flex, not a responsible act of governance. I am asking you to speak out. Please do not stay silent. The American people need to hear from their representatives that our democracy will not tolerate a military bent to the will of one man. We need leaders who will defend the Constitution as fiercely as those who swore an oath to it. This is not about party. This is about protecting the soul of our nation. I am scared, and I know I am not alone