Can the Military Remain Apolitical? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 16, 2025 · 21 MIN

Can the Military Remain Apolitical?

from Middleweight Politics: Political Analysis for the Independent Voter · host Dan Sally & Shawn Griffiths

Last week, Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of state leaders, delivered a highly partisan speech to uniformed troops at Fort Bragg, and held a military parade in Washington, D.C. on his birthday. None of these actions are entirely without precedent, but taken together, they raise a pressing question: Can the U.S. military remain apolitical in an era of hyperpartisanship and hyperpolarization? Dan and Shawn dig into the historical context of domestic troop deployments, the shift to an all-volunteer force, and how political realignment may be reshaping the military's cultural identity and threatening America's tradition of an apolitical military.

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Can the Military Remain Apolitical?

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This episode was published on June 16, 2025.

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Last week, Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the objections of state leaders, delivered a highly partisan speech to uniformed troops at Fort Bragg, and held a military parade in Washington, D.C. on...

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