The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee believes the military leaders will abide by the law if President Trump calls for military involvement in the upcoming election.
Rep. Adam Smith, the Democratic head of the House’s top military panel, told reporters Wednesday that he trusts “the Pentagon to follow the law and to not basically follow unlawful orders, and to respect the Constitution.”
The Washington state Democrat said he has had discussions with Pentagon leadership about the issue.
“I think both [Defense Secretary Mark] Esper and [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark] Milley have been clear on that, that their loyalty is to the law, their loyalty is to the Constitution, their loyalty is not to any one person,” Mr. Smith continued.
Skepticism has mounted in recent weeks following comments made by the president that he may not accept the results of the contest. Last month, he questioned the reliability of mail-in ballots and said he will “see what happens” regarding a peaceful transition of power.
Mr. Trump later said he would accept the results of a “fair” election, but has continued to doubt the integrity of mail-in ballots despite no evidence to back up his claims.
Earlier this year, Mr. Trump threatened to invoke a rarely-used 1807 law to deploy active duty troops to quell unrest around the country amid widespread anti-racism protests. His comments were met with strong pushback from Pentagon brass and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
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