1. United States
2. Minn.
3. Letter

The recent firings of senior military leaders by President Trump raise significant concerns about potential politicization of the armed forces and circumvention of critical legal constraints. These dismissals of highly experienced officers with exemplary service records appear to be driven by partisan motives rather than legitimate national security justifications. Ensuring civilian control over the military is crucial, but such control must operate within legal and institutional guardrails to uphold democratic values and norms. Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct robust oversight and ensure the Department of Defense remains insulated from undue political interference that could undermine operational readiness, troop morale, and the military's apolitical ethos. Immediate congressional hearings are warranted to compel the administration to justify these concerning personnel actions and prevent further erosion of norms protecting our national defense apparatus from partisan meddling. Senators should also carefully scrutinize new Pentagon nominations until legitimate reasons for the firings are provided. Protecting our national security requires preserving the integrity and independence of civilian and military leadership at the Defense Department. Allowing these norms to be further breached in service of narrow political interests invites long-term damage to military effectiveness and democratic civil-military relations. Robust congressional oversight is essential to safeguarding a professional, apolitical military that remains focused on defending the nation rather than internal power struggles.