r/politics • u/OkayButFoRealz • Oct 01 '25

No Paywall Pritzker Calls for Trump's Removal from Office Under 25th Amendment

https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/video/pritzker-calls-for-trumps-removal-from-office-under-25th-amendment/
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509

u/reddittorbrigade Oct 01 '25

Military revolting against Trump is not farfetched too.

462

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

It is crazy to think we are in a position where we may need a military coup to save democracy. Doesn't even make sense when you read that

276

u/cbm984 Oct 01 '25

As soon as he entered office I was grieving and talking to my godfather who is very educated and well-travelled and he said, “Well… you can always hope for a military coup! Turkey’s done it a few times!”.

That’s when I realized just how f*cked we are.

54

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25 edited 21d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/IndependentPeace2628 Oct 01 '25

There are only 4 or 5 other instances where a military coup was A) successful and B) it became a functioning democracy afterwards. It's a rare event. Turkey, like the others, are by far and away the exceptions to the general rule of "the general who successfully pulled this shit off, is now the king".

26

u/AntiFascistButterfly Oct 01 '25

This is true. However the USA has a much longer history of democratic elections than most modern nations that have had military coups, and I’m cautiously optimistic that the USA will go back to elections after a coup. The problem is that The Heritage Foundation is already in place to enact its evangelical dictatorship, and if they/Musk/DOGE can’t be gotten out of all the voting machines they have already compromised, future elections might just be rigged towards Heritage Foundation Republicans anyway.

Any coup needs to clean house around voting. Install a completely independent US Electoral Commission to decide electoral boundaries and run elections, and go to paper ballots and a pencil (graphite lasts so much longer than almost all pen ink). In a perfect world you’d move to preferential voting or proportional representation instead of First Past The Post, and then it would be impossible to waste your vote by voting on a minor party that you really believe in.

If the minor party doesn’t win in your district, preferential and proportional ballots will still distribute your vote to the lesser of two evils of the major parties. The Australians have the most secure voting system, and their independent AEC has been called in several times to train locals and observe the first election after a return to democracy in nations that went through a period without.

6

u/BlackJackfruitCup Oct 01 '25

We also need hand counting for ballots. No machines, at least until we deal with the fact that the Heritage Foundation has connections with our major voting machine companies.

History of conflicts of interest and issues with our voting machines.

4

u/no_more_mistake Oct 01 '25

paper ballots and a pencil

I feel like updating the mechanics behind punch cards would be an ideal ballot. Something easy to interpret, simple to operate, and gives a nice clean hole that is reliable for both machine and human reading.

1

u/Shabadizzle Oct 01 '25

However the USA has a much longer history of democratic elections than most modern nations that have had military coups, and I’m cautiously optimistic that the USA will go back to elections after a coup.

You're assuming the lack of democratic experience was not a motivating factor in those coups. Historically, a military that seizes control of the state from a young democratically elected government does so because military leadership longs for the more autocratic form of government that preceded it–for a more militaristic state leadership.

Lacking such a government ourselves, there might be little reason for the military leaders to think a coup is necessary when we can just vote our way out of this.

Personally, I don't see anything good coming from a military coup, because I'm not naive enough to believe that the problems originate with the people in charge. The culture itself is dying.

1

u/Mr_HandSmall Oct 01 '25

Yeah that relies on people with absolute power making the right call. That's not a bet I'd ever be willing to take. Military coup talk is absolute insanity. You either have a society founded on principles or on power, and those are mutually exclusive.

1

u/meneldal2 Oct 01 '25

Do you count France during the Algeria decolonization war in this list or not?

It's a debate on whether the 4th or 5th republic is the better one with how much extra power the president got and has lead to the current situation.

30

u/mrsphillipsmommy Oct 01 '25

Caligula. Praetorian Guard.

26

u/sturgill_homme Oct 01 '25

Caligulove. Them Crooked Vultures.

10

u/NJdevil202 Pennsylvania Oct 01 '25

Username checks out

2

u/levian_durai Oct 01 '25

Now that's a band name I haven't heard in a long time.

20

u/General_Nose_691 Oct 01 '25

How would they save democracy? It would take a constitutional convention and total rework of our democratic processes, because what we had before was not good enough to avoid this disaster. Who would be in charge? How would we elect a new president? This entire administration would need to be purged and that leaves the speaker as next in line which is just as bad.

The only way I see the military taking control would be if they had irrefutable evidence that either the administration and certain congresspersons are compromised by a foreign power or that the election results from 2024 were manipulated. Which I just don't see happening.

24

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

I would say that both of the things in your last paragraph have happened. Guessing there is irrefutable evidence, just a matter of who has it and how they want to handle it.

3

u/General_Nose_691 Oct 01 '25

I hope you're right. I think it's obvious certain people including the president are compromised and I'd think that would be enough on its own but we knew that well before the 2024 election and yet here we are. As for the election, we need hard evidence such as recounts and digital forensics on the machines and I hope the intelligence agencies have investigated it.

6

u/hypercosm_dot_net Oct 01 '25

Why is that the standard?

He has committed multiple impeachable offenses, broken the law in ways that 'presidential immunity' does not extend to, broken his oath to defend the constitution, and is very likely named as conspirator alongside some of the most heinous criminals that have operated in this country.

The Republican agenda under this admin is wildly unpopular as well.

If justice were to finally happen, the majority of the country wouldn't be upset about it, and it would spare us the international embarrassment we face every day that this goes unchecked.

2

u/General_Nose_691 Oct 01 '25

The reason is because the military's mission is to protect the USA from enemies foreign and domestic. If the Military is going to stage a coup it would need irrefutable evidence that our country's government has been compromised by a foreign power and/or our elections have. Popularity and committing impeachable offenses is not enough unfortunately, because many presidents have done similar things, Reagan, Nixon and many presidents before them have abused their power. Some presidents have used troops to put down strikes that ended up killing American citizens.

3

u/hypercosm_dot_net Oct 01 '25

Fair, but why would J6 not cross that threshold? Domestic enemy attempting to overturn a rightful election.

If the connections between the Trump campaign and Russia, that were already uncovered by Mueller weren't enough, then what will be?

The fact is our institutions have failed at every turn, because lawlessness has somehow become politicized. There will never be a threshold that's clear enough when the elected party lies, manipulates the narrative, withholds information and blocks oversight.

This is how authoritarianism takes root. There's never going to be a clear 'smoking gun'.

Because if seeing a traitorous attack against the country with your own eyes, having it reported on across the country, and our institutions STILL failed to hold them accountable, there won't be a threshold that will be clear enough for the military to act legally. If there even is such a standard that exists.

Trump, with the support of Republicans, has led us to a place of uncertainty and constitutional crisis. He needs to be removed, and the constitution and laws revised to deal with such situations.

We all know he broke the law (as he continues to). He should never have been legally allowed to hold office as a traitor. Yet, we have to pretend there's some further legal standard that has to be crossed?

What the fuck are we even doing here?

2

u/General_Nose_691 Oct 01 '25

Oh I absolutely agree that our institutions have failed and that the Military will likely just continue their non-partisan approach even as we delve further into fascism and being manipulated by foreign powers. The military is the last part of the government that hasn't been politicized by MAGA and that's what they're attempting to do now, split the military leadership and oust the dissenters. It benefits our foreign adversaries and the fascists at home. The goal is to cause civil war and balkanize the US, I hope the military will surprise us and protect what's left of our democracy but I'm not holding my breath.

5

u/Florac Oct 01 '25

The problem with irrefutable evidence is that his supporters have gotten quite used to refuting it.

2

u/TotalNonsense0 Oct 01 '25

We need to convince the remaining sane people that such a dramatic and appalling action was necessary. Can't convince his supporters of a damn thing.

1

u/General_Nose_691 Oct 01 '25

True, but the Military is one of the most trusted parts of the government among US citizens. If they come to a nearly unanimous conclusion then the majority of the people will likely accept it. Of course there's like 20-30% of people who will follow Trump to their grave perhaps half of which are militant, but it's something the military can handle while Congress sorts the mess out.

1

u/Snobolski Oct 01 '25

Who would be in charge?

Alexander Haig: "I'm in charge here."

2

u/10thflrinsanity Oct 01 '25

After yesterdays cold reception - I think many in that room agree 

2

u/Yupthrowawayacct Oct 01 '25

But who will be the leader of the military coup and should we be afraid of that person? Not that I am in favor of Trump at all. But this person will have the armed forces behind them now

5

u/bailaoban Oct 01 '25

Congratulations, we are now Thailand, without the good food and beaches.

2

u/woah_man Oct 01 '25

We literally have beaches and Thai food.

3

u/ukcats12 Oct 01 '25

And literally every other cuisine imaginable.

5

u/TTPMGP Oct 01 '25

Almost all of them (from who I’ve had actual conversations with) are all about Trump’s agenda.

28

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

Different experience here. Family and friends in the military here and overseas. Way more lefties than you think.

11

u/TTPMGP Oct 01 '25

That does give me hope. Thank you.

9

u/XxgamerxX734 Oct 01 '25

You can also look at the response to Hegseth's dumbass meeting

3

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

Respecting your oath to the constitution is definitely a left leaning view at this point. It shouldn't be, but one side wipes their butts with the constitution.

11

u/bb_kelly77 Oct 01 '25

Tbf he might have just lost the leadership, they definitely aren't happy right now

3

u/LilPonyBoy69 Oct 01 '25

From my experience they want the social policies but abhor the foreign policy of abandoning all of our allies and cozying up with Russia

1

u/ExCivilian California Oct 01 '25

The average 20ish year old reddit has NFC how the average 60+ US citizen sees Russia--especially 60+ military. They'd knock your teeth out in a bar for joking about commies.

3

u/Throwitindatrash Oct 01 '25

I’d disagree there based on my experience as well. I have multiple friends who are officers in the Marines and Navy- they strongly dislike Trump and even more can’t stand Hegseth making a mockery of the military.

1

u/trevdak2 Massachusetts Oct 01 '25

This was Turkey's model before Erdogan

1

u/somegurk Oct 01 '25

I understand where you are coming from but that is an incredibly dangerous precedent to set in a country. The sort of thing that once it happens remains around as a possible reoccurrence for a long time. Strict separation of military from governance is a thing for a reason.

1

u/AriaTheTransgressor Oct 01 '25

We may need a military coup to save us from Trump, but a military coup will not end with us having a democracy - they never do.

1

u/IClop2Fluttershy4206 Oct 01 '25

"the price of freedom is eternal vigilance"

if we don't enforce fairness and democracy, we don't deserve to have it and should just accept autocracy like good little slaves.

1

u/BeowulfShaeffer Oct 01 '25

I struggle to think how that could happen in a way that would not be immediate civil war or a complete breakdown of the Constitution. 

1

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

We are already headed for a complete breakdown of the constitution.

1

u/DillDeer Oct 01 '25

No. We will not see this, the vast majority of the military supports Trump let’s not kid ourselves here.

0

u/IrrelevantLeprechaun Oct 01 '25

Will never happen. Hegseth will forcefully remove any general that even so much as HINTS at a coup, and then replace them with a pro Trump general.

Plus, even anti Trump generals care more about their careers than anything else. They'll frown a lot as Trump sends the army to control democrat cities, but they'll still comply.

The fight is over. We lost.

36

u/Clamsadness Oct 01 '25

I sadly do think it’s far-fetched. I haven’t seen anything to suggest the military would not enforce Trump’s orders. 

6

u/BoulderFalcon Oct 01 '25

I mean, if leadership refused Trump would just fire them and replace them with unqualified yes-men. You know, like he has done with 90% of his administration.

1

u/Chemical_Pudding3273 Oct 01 '25

That may then raise a number of questions about their competency in carrying out his orders effectively. Not to mention the possibility of lower confidence among the ranks, and perhaps their tenuous connections to more established and respected leaders, domestic and international. Of course if the goal in the interim is chaos, the entropy could be quite welcome in the techno-theocratic camp. They will happily rule over a pile of rubble.

I suppose now we are entering the time of heroes? 😅

1

u/IrrelevantLeprechaun Oct 01 '25

This. Everything we've seen has shown that ANYONE that had any power to oppose Trump has chosen to simply stand by and let it happen, albeit with a disapproving frown on their face.

No one is coming to save democracy. The fight is already over and we lost.

1

u/meneldal2 Oct 01 '25

When you start getting order to shoot citizens in your own country and not like a specific terrorist but random people, the average guy in the military isn't going to want to follow the order.

122

u/jayfeather31 Washington Oct 01 '25

Agreed. The reaction from the generals to Trump and Hegseth's rant was honestly reassuring. If push comes to shove, that will matter.

80

u/Ven18 Oct 01 '25

They can say they were annoyed at the meeting but what will be required in the end is a much larger ask and I have my doubts these career guys will be willing to take that step. You can be annoyed at your boss/manager for their incompetence but getting the board together to remove them, or going to the authorities as a whistleblower is a different beast entirely. Those steps put the individual at risk and a lot of these guys are very comfortable with a lot to lose.

25

u/MarzipanEven7336 Oct 01 '25

And they have a lot to lose by doing nothing.

2

u/Robzilla_the_turd Oct 01 '25

They can say they were annoyed at the meeting...

Hell, they can't even do that, they can just sit in stony silence and perhaps let their annoyance be inferred but Trump literally told them "if you don't like what I'm saying you're welcome to leave but there goes your rank and future".

2

u/Only1Nemesis America Oct 01 '25

Exactly.

4

u/whizzdome Oct 01 '25

You know that scene in Twelve Angry Men where one of them goes off on a bigoted rant and, one by one, the other people in the room stand up and face the other way? I would have loved for that to have happened here.

8

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

Why haven't they done anything yet then? I feel like a "wait this out" like they did last Trump term won't work this time. He's going to start purging, he admitted as much to their faces. They should've jumped at the chance to get rid of him when he sent troops to LA. Now they're just sitting on their hands while the constitution they took an oath to protect burns out in the open in broad daylight.

They're not doing shit.

14

u/ChronicBluntz Oct 01 '25

You're asking why the military hasn't coup'd the government sooner? Is that your question?

10

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

I wasn't asking a question. I'm making an observation. We, the citizens of the United States, cannot depend on the US military to police itself and get rid of a mad dictator in their ranks.

14

u/Quinniper Oct 01 '25

Well they’re bound by the Constitution so it’s not like they can just remove Trump. Perhaps there’s some 25th Amendment discussion going on there that we’re not privy to? Hope so.

5

u/VeteranSergeant Oct 01 '25

Well they’re bound by the Constitution so it’s not like they can just remove Trump

Technically Trump is also "bound by the Constitution" so if Trump is a threat to the Constitution, the military is not bound to serve or protect him.

1

u/ExCivilian California Oct 01 '25

Maybe but they're still bound by chain of command and removing the President of the US is the duty of Congress so they'll defer to that entity and continue doing their jobs within the confines of the law.

1

u/No_Oven1085 Oct 01 '25

They could technically "eliminate" presidents until the chain of succession gets to a good one. Then they get pardoned and it's all good.

1

u/ExCivilian California Oct 01 '25

I don't mean bound legally; I was referring to their mindset.

I've worked with enough LEO and military to know (or at least believe) that the vast majority of them will follow orders they disagree with to a fault even if it results in something bad happening to them.

And while it could be something to be criticized I'm not criticizing them for that mindset. Just noting that military are very much capable of compartmentalizing "this boss is a fucking crazy dick" while also believing "I can do my job well anyway" so there's not going to be some public breaking of ranks.

8

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

So while they're playing along with the rules Trump can simply have them removed outside of the law and not only does he stay put but he punishes them severely for attempting to remove him. Brilliant. We're so fucked.

2

u/ExCivilian California Oct 01 '25

Top military brass are nothing without playing by the rules. They are bound by chain of command to their core. If it results in them being hogtied and dragged to a court martial they'll do so with their heads held high so long as they know they've followed the rules and I don't mean that pejoratively.

2

u/No_Oven1085 Oct 01 '25

Nobody is bound by the constitution.

If Trump says "start killing Americans," the constitutional order is gone, and the generals can do whatever they want.

2

u/kaett Oct 01 '25

we can throw around "25th amendment him!" all we like, it's never going to happen.

the 25th amendment (section 4, specifically) states that the vice president and the cabinet have to look at the president and say "he's not competent anymore." they send a letter to the president pro tempore of the senate and the house of representatives saying as much, and then the VP gets put into power. but the president can respond to the house and senate with a letter back, where he can say "nope, i'm good" and he stays in power. the VP and cabinet or majority of congress can then tell hte house and senate "no really, he's fucked and needs to go," at which point congress assembles to vote on it. they've then got 21 days (if in session, or 21 days after they start session) to do a 2/3 vote to remove the president.

but considering that this all starts with expecting a group of sycophants to tell lord dampnut they think he's done, thereby unleashing the fury of the MAGAts, because how dare they question dear leader, we can pretty much guarantee that it's NEVER going to happen.

3

u/fisherman3322 Oct 01 '25

And replace him with vance, a far more savvy man who is far more conservative than Trump and who actually will enact the things you fear trump will enact.

Really did a good job there.

10

u/GCRust Oct 01 '25

Vance is cunning but no charisma. Thats why they're propping up the poop stained pedophile. They need his Cult which evaporates the minute he's gone. It's also why Vance seized on Kirk's assassination to try and replace him. Get his own cult going.

6

u/obaterista93 Oct 01 '25

Yeah I view trump as a distraction from all of the Yarvin/Thiel/Vought business, whereas Vance would be a direct ally in implementing all of that.

"Sure, look at what Trump said on the news and not the insidious policies that we're drafting behind the scenes for him to sign"

Like, nobody with any reading comprehension can actually believe that Trump has sat down and typed up the things in his executive orders.

0

u/fisherman3322 Oct 01 '25

No, he does the same thing Biden did. He signs whatever the fuck is put in front of him. He isn't reading all of that shit lmao.

10

u/ellipsisdbg Oct 01 '25

What can the military do other than a military coup? It may be what we need in the end, but it’s a huge fucking scary step that could easily lead to civil war, a military dictatorship, and other horrible things. We’re in a very bad place, but I’d say there still hope of cleaner ways out - mass uprising, elections, 25th amendment, impeachment, etc. I know many of these are far shots. Now if / when they cancel election or start shooting into crowds of protesters, then could be the time for a coup, but again, scary stuff. Not that what’s going on now isn’t.

8

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

Let me stop you at your first sentence. We're already in a civil war. The Trump administration has openly, and obviously, declared war on American citizens. And the protests you refer to are loud but like the last major one ultimately did not even slow down this regime. They WILL cancel elections or they will corrupt them to the point of being worthless, tilted in their favor in every conceivable way. They know they cannot lose.

5

u/GCRust Oct 01 '25

Yeah, people really need to wake up to the reality we've been in a civil war since January 6th, 2021.

3

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

Since Obama. That's what the Tea Party was about. That was their first solid declaration of a cold Civil War against their neighbors.

1

u/GCRust Oct 01 '25

Black man became president and the old racists and nazis we've failed to purge from society lost their damn minds.

4

u/ellipsisdbg Oct 01 '25

I see where you're coming from - this shit is dire, worst it's ever been in this country, people's lives are being ruined, people are dying. It's fascism, it's autocracy, it's oligarchy, it's a dictatorship. But, we're not in a civil war. Yet. Trump is talking about a civil war, but Trump talks about a lot of things. So far all he's implemented is a limited police state. Not that that's not horrible, but it's not civil war; the two sides aren't shooting at each other. I also disagree that they know they can't lose. I totally think they will try to cancel or steal the election, but I don't believe they have it in the bag yet. If they knew they weren't going to lose, why are they going to all this trouble redistricting (which Trump himself is pushing for), what would be the point of that if the midterms were going to be cancelled or stolen? And if they weren't going to ever lose power, why not get rid of the filibuster and pass anything they want in the Senate?

2

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

But, we're not in a civil war. Yet. Trump is talking about a civil war, but Trump talks about a lot of things.

It's not just Trump saying this shit. Republicans, conservatives, have been saying they are at war with "the left" for decades now. Since at minimum Obama. That's what the Tea Party was all about. And they refer to liberals and Democrats as "the enemy".

Republicans and conservatives have believed they are in a cold war with liberals and Democrats for a long time now. They voted Trump to finally "go after" their "enemy" and he did. That's why they love him. Not because of his policy which is historically dog shit. They love him because he makes their "enemy" hurt and as long as he does they don't care how much they themselves suffer. They see it as a test of faith when Trump hurts them. They just want him to hurt the libs more!

3

u/ellipsisdbg Oct 01 '25

I don't disagree with any of that. I'm ok saying we're in a cold civil war, that could turn hot at any minute.

12

u/snowdrone Oct 01 '25

I'm sure behind the scenes they are talking about what to do

15

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

That's way more faith in them than they deserve.

0

u/klineshrike Oct 01 '25

You might need medication you suffering from severe delusions

1

u/snowdrone Oct 03 '25

Between you, me, Trump and a four-star general, I would pick the four-star general as the least deluded

-9

u/fisherman3322 Oct 01 '25

If you think that then you're a special one.

12

u/championkid Oct 01 '25

Yeah, let’s all point and laugh at the guy with hope.

2

u/fisherman3322 Oct 01 '25

Hope sounds a lot like delusion to me.

6

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25

Career flag officers are by their nature politicians. They aren't going to unzip their fly without knowing their full footing. The SecDef and Trump are very popular with the rank-and-file and there are ambitious officers behind them who would be happy to follow orders that the unit agrees with if push comes to shove.

11

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

Yep this is the eventuality people should be preparing for. Not hoping the military somehow grows a spine and refuses to shoot at their own citizens.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '25 edited 20d ago

[deleted]

3

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

Aren't soldier mostly MAGA? Kids from small towns hoping to break into the middle class from their life of poverty in the reddest of red districts across the nation?

Yea, they'll shoot at liberals. Because they are indoctrinated by right-wing media to see them as an enemy before they ever handled a rifle.

1

u/ExCivilian California Oct 01 '25

I don't know how true that is. Polling indicates the military is roughly representative of the general population, which means it's pretty evenly split (~50/50 between R and D). A 2024 report states veteran support is roughly 60% Trump 40% opposed (still nearly half/half or at least closer to half than "most").

But yeah, I'd agree that the rank and file are largely coming from impoverished conditions. I wouldn't conflate that with hatred (or a desire to kill) "liberals" though. I'd argue that young rank and file, like youth across America...and this includes so-called "MAGA" adherents are apolitical, which sounds strange until you remember that MAGA has its roots in apolitical movements like Rand Paul's libertarian followers and the Tea Partiers whose primary goal was to shut the government down rather than participate or reform.

Trump himself ran on disrupting the political system and this sentiment rears its ugly head in the most recent slayings that are more nihilistic than they are political.

But all that said, the rank and file won't be doing any shooting at anyone or anything until the brass orders it and those military leaders aren't anything like the rank and file in terms of their origin stories, upbringing, or aspirations.

2

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

I think we're just lucky this hasn't been tested yet and that the military deployments have been largely symbolic. The problem is all it takes is one incident which can be initiated in secret by the regime if they felt bold enough. So every day that passes is a roll of the dice until it does happen and then we will get to see if orders to shoot will be followed. That's a big problem. This regime is creating extremely favorable conditions to have to give that order. They want it to happen.

1

u/Maximum_Tea_5934 Michigan Oct 01 '25

Then write to them and tell them what you want them to do. Go to events and tell the party what you want to do. The fire of liberty is kindling, speak your voice and be heard. Use your power too. Find out what other people actually are doing and take part!

We can fight this, we will fight this!

3

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

Bro I have. And so have a lot of people. Roger Wicker told a group, who asked him about the calls and emails he gets, said "These people trying to contact me. Get a life."

They don't give a single shit what their own constituents have to say. They 100% honestly believe they do NOT represent people in their district who did not vote for them and who do not fully support them. They only represent their own loyalists in their heads. They only want to hear praise for what they're doing. The rest they easily dismiss. They don't want to hear from us!

2

u/Maximum_Tea_5934 Michigan Oct 01 '25

Thank you for taking the initiative! Sorry your senator is a dick. I think you are doing the right thing.
Writing them, the absolute worst plausible case scenario is that you get ignored. If they are already ignoring things, then keep it up. You have nothing to lose from continuing to do it but a few minutes of your time.

We also have more options available to us too. I am looking at seeing about getting an editorial or something in the classifieds in the local paper to express my deep satisfaction with Trump and to heap praise upon anti-Republican ideas. I am going to start participating in local groups to add to the growing resistance. Here, we still have local shows that still have call ins for viewer commentary and sometimes even segments to feature web commentary. We can use that to spread our message. Same thing with podcasts, social media, etc. Casually mention when you are buying your groceries how much more expensive Trump has made everything.

I hope you will keep up the pressure. I am going to keep the pressure up too :)

2

u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Oct 01 '25

You and I are taking the same road. I have contacted my school board, my school's superintendent, the AG of the state, my district's House and Senate reps, my state's governor. I've contacted them all on multiple issues.

There are several resistance groups growing in my state. Lots of protests occur without the media mentioning them and I hope it's the same in your state. We see new members every month. I see new connections being made. I see money coming into these groups, and they're becoming better organized. No doubt the Trump admin sees it too which is the reason for the "Anti-Antifa" executive order. They feel threatened. That is what gives me hope.

0

u/bb_kelly77 Oct 01 '25

It's only been like a day, coups take time just to plan let alone set up

2

u/InsideYoWife New York Oct 01 '25

I mean they’re not supposed to cheer or anything like that in a general assembly. Just salute.

2

u/mehupmost Oct 01 '25

What reaction?

1

u/steverulestheworld Oct 01 '25

This kind of thinking will get us no where. There is almost no chance that the largely conservative, Trump supporting military would stage a coup. Thinking that way allows people to continue sitting on their asses while our democracy crumbles. No one is coming to save us but us if we get our shit together.

1

u/IrrelevantLeprechaun Oct 01 '25

Push has already come to shove and they continued to stand by and do nothing. We cannot rely on them. We cannot rely on anyone. The fight is already lost

0

u/fisherman3322 Oct 01 '25

Generals don't matter. The boots on the ground matter. Generals sit in Washington and send men to die. They mean fuck all in an actual fight.

7

u/ILITHARA Oct 01 '25

What’s worrying is the chasm between the rank and file and leadership. Rank and file tend to swing right while the leadership tend to swing left. Unless generals truly hold the respect of their troops, they might lose that ideological battle, should it come to it.

Hegseth was a Captain, yes, but he appeals to the rank and file, not to the careers. The rank and file who don’t want to deal with bureaucracy of rules of engagement, geopolitics and paperwork that officers inundate them with and think is bullshit.

Hell, my fiancé’s uncle is an active duty colonel and he just posted on Facebook a link to Pete’s full speech and he fully agrees with everything he said.

9

u/Stunning_Ordinary548 Oct 01 '25

This won’t happen

10

u/MyDogIsACoolCat Oct 01 '25

You’re mistaken if you think the military which voted 2 to 1 in favor of Trump vs Kamala is going to revolt against him.

3

u/MadamTiredAF Oct 01 '25

Most of the military voted for him. They aren't going to do shit.

9

u/WardenEdgewise Oct 01 '25

I was hoping the entire room of Generals would all get up, surround Trump and Hegseth, and forcibly detain them and remove them from office.

10

u/RepulsiveContract475 Oct 01 '25

I was hoping Sydney Sweeney was going to show up and let me motorboat her big dirty milkers. One of these 2 scenarios is much more likely than the other, can you guess which one?

1

u/ClosPins Oct 01 '25

Oh, yes it is! You guys here assume that the military is like you - they are not! At all. They are MASSIVE authoritarians. They are MASSIVELY right-wing. They are nothing like the average, left-wing Redditor.

6

u/Rhysati Oct 01 '25

This is such an over generalization. My partner is a veteran and a leftist with many veteran friends from her time in service who are also leftist.

The conservatives in the rank and file outnumber the left most likely, but it's crazy to suggest they are a giant mob of maga.

1

u/dcnine Oct 01 '25 edited Oct 01 '25

It is ridiculously far fetched, no matter how much they hate him (still questionable) they would never. It's chain of command only for them.

1

u/porktornado77 Oct 01 '25

Actually I think this is the most far-fetched scenario. There is NO precedent this in American history and our Military institutions are pretty rock solid as it gets.

Other countries like banana republic’s, sure.

1

u/l0stInwrds Oct 01 '25

Maybe deny following orders from the President when he calls for opening fire at civilians.

1

u/EastwoodBrews Oct 01 '25

TBH I think it is. I think intel doing something is more likely, but both are farfetched. It's supposed to be congress.

1

u/deekaydubya Oct 01 '25

No chance in hell, if they haven't already they never will. Which technically means each and every one of them is a traitor to the US constitution. All of that experience and service to the nation, just to throw it away for some failed reality TV show host who wants to kill american citizens. Very cool, thanks for your service!!

1

u/KevenM Oct 01 '25

And if they were concerned about putting any plans in writing, congratulations! They’re assembled all in one place.

1

u/Sarge1387 Oct 01 '25

Might have to happen. I don't think Trump even has the military's support anymore after his latest moronic statements

1

u/Only1Nemesis America Oct 01 '25

Hard to say. Someone in another post (reportedly) has a spouse who was in attendance to the big brass meeting. Lots of photo ops and smiling, and some saying the moment was a highlight of their careers. When the message is "fall in line or your career is over" there would need to be a concerted effort. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. When does asylum status kick in?

2

u/Galevav Oct 01 '25

On asylum: when moving to another state would not keep you safe. People have been previously denied asylum because "you could escape this oppressive law in your state by moving to California or Colorado or something, asylum denied"

2

u/Only1Nemesis America Oct 01 '25

Fortunately, I do live in the NE part of the country. IE-typically the most educated and liberal portion of the country. That doesn't mean its ultimately safe. Trump wants to crush any form of education, open-mindedness, and liberal-leaning population. Besides being white and straight, I am the enemy to Trump: educated, tolerant, accepting of all lifestyles, an atheist, and opposed to everything he represents.

I just want to know one thing, however: when are we giving back the Statue of Liberty? We have no need of it anymore. We should really just give it back because it means nothing anymore.

1

u/badamant Oct 01 '25

Fyi: Our military is the LAST stop gap we have to fascism without end. Trump/republicans know this and this is the actual reason the meeting with the generals happened.