Trump's Push to Inject Politics Into American Armed Forces ‘Reminiscent of Soviet Purges, Cautions Retired General

Donald Trump and his defense secretary his appointed defense secretary are mounting an concerted effort to politicise the top ranks of the US military – a strategy that smacks of Soviet-era tactics and could take years to rectify, a retired infantry chief has stated.

Retired Major General Paul Eaton has sounded the alarm, stating that the campaign to subordinate the top brass of the military to the executive's political agenda was extraordinary in recent history and could have long-term dire consequences. He warned that both the standing and operational effectiveness of the world’s preeminent military was in the balance.

“Once you infect the organization, the remedy may be very difficult and costly for administrations downstream.”

He stated further that the moves of the administration were putting the standing of the military as an apolitical force, outside of electoral agendas, in jeopardy. “As the saying goes, reputation is established a drip at a time and emptied in torrents.”

An Entire Career in Service

Eaton, seventy-five, has devoted his whole career to the armed services, including nearly forty years in active service. His father was an military aviator whose B-57 bomber was lost over Laos in 1969.

Eaton himself was an alumnus of the US Military Academy, completing his studies soon after the end of the Vietnam war. He advanced his career to become infantry chief and was later assigned to the Middle East to rebuild the local military.

Predictions and Current Events

In recent years, Eaton has been a vocal opponent of perceived manipulation of military structures. In 2024 he participated in war games that sought to predict potential authoritarian moves should a a particular figure return to the presidency.

Many of the outcomes simulated in those drills – including politicisation of the military and sending of the national guard into jurisdictions – have already come to pass.

The Pentagon Purge

In Eaton’s view, a first step towards eroding military independence was the appointment of a political ally as secretary of defense. “The appointee not only pledges allegiance to an individual, he swears fealty – whereas the military swears an oath to the rule of law,” Eaton said.

Soon after, a succession of firings began. The military inspector general was dismissed, followed by the top military lawyers. Also removed were the service chiefs.

This Pentagon purge sent a unmistakable and alarming message that rippled throughout the armed forces, Eaton said. “Comply, or we will remove you. You’re in a changed reality now.”

An Ominous Comparison

The removals also sowed doubt throughout the ranks. Eaton said the impact drew parallels to the Soviet dictator's political cleansings of the military leadership in Soviet forces.

“The Soviet leader killed a lot of the top talent of the military leadership, and then placed party loyalists into the units. The fear that permeated the armed forces of the Soviet Union is similar to today – they are not executing these men and women, but they are stripping them from positions of authority with parallel consequences.”

The end result, Eaton said, was that “you’ve got a historical parallel inside the American military right now.”

Legal and Ethical Lines

The furor over deadly operations in Latin American waters is, for Eaton, a symptom of the harm that is being wrought. The Pentagon leadership has stated the strikes target “narco-terrorists”.

One particular strike has been the subject of intense scrutiny. Media reports revealed that an order was given to “take no prisoners.” Under established military doctrine, it is forbidden to order that survivors must be killed regardless of whether they pose a threat.

Eaton has no doubts about the ethical breach of this action. “It was either a grave breach or a murder. So we have a major concern here. This decision is analogous to a WWII submarine captain attacking survivors in the water.”

Domestic Deployment

Looking ahead, Eaton is profoundly concerned that actions of rules of war overseas might soon become a reality domestically. The administration has federalised national guard troops and sent them into multiple urban areas.

The presence of these personnel in major cities has been disputed in federal courts, where cases continue.

Eaton’s biggest fear is a dramatic clash between federalised forces and state and local police. He painted a picture of a hypothetical scenario where one state's guard is commandeered and sent into another state against its will.

“What could go wrong?” Eaton said. “You can very easily see an escalation in which all involved think they are acting legally.”

Eventually, he warned, a “significant incident” was likely to take place. “There are going to be people harmed who really don’t need to get hurt.”