“The Military Should Never Be Used Like a Gestapo”: Amy McGrath Warns of Sobering Consequences Under Trump
(Al Drago for The New York Times)
Former Marine Corps fighter pilot Amy McGrath revealed unsettling insights from participating in “war games” earlier this year with the Veterans for Responsible Leadership, a Super PAC. The group prepared for potential scenarios based on Donald Trump’s indicated policies, including military involvement in mass deportations.
Speaking on MSNBC with Nicolle Wallace, McGrath detailed the challenges and moral dilemmas the military could face under such directives. “Many of us did some exercises on what Trump would do on the first day, and it was very, very sobering,” said McGrath, referencing the March simulations reported by The Atlantic.
She specifically addressed the complications of tasking the military with rounding up immigrants, warning of the potentially destructive impact on the armed forces. “It will rip the military apart because it’s not in our nature to turn our forces. We’re not trained for it. Our guns should not be turned on to American citizens and those people living here,” McGrath emphasized.
McGrath, who ran against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in 2020, highlighted the practical and ethical challenges of using the military for immigration enforcement. With not enough border patrol agents to fulfill Trump’s ambitions, the military would inevitably be drawn in, creating profound moral conflicts.
“A core tenet of American democracy is that we don’t use our military against American civilians,” McGrath stated. She raised the grim question of what might happen if the families of immigrants resist. “Does the U.S. military then fire upon our own citizens? Does the U.S. military fire upon civilians if there’s resistance? The United States military should never be used like a Gestapo. And that is where we’re headed.”
McGrath also pointed to the lasting consequences such actions could have on military personnel, noting that soldiers are trained to fight enemies, not enforce civilian laws. “The fact of the matter is there aren’t enough border patrol agents to do what Trump wants. You would have to use the military,” she explained, underscoring the fundamental violation of democratic principles this entails.
“As veterans, we are people who can uniquely communicate to the American public how important the Constitution is because we took an oath to defend it,” McGrath concluded, urging vigilance in preserving the military’s role as a protector of democracy, not an enforcer of political agendas.
