Why We Don't Politicize the Military
Joyce Vance
Jul 17, 2025
When I started working on this piece, it was in the context of Trump‘s announced decision to bring the National Guard and the Marines into Los Angeles to quell protests against ICE. Use of the military for domestic law-enforcement purposes is severely restricted by law for a number of good reasons, not the least among them the damage that happens when we politicize the military. The military’s reputation gets tarnished if it is perceived as a political tool rather than a defense force that protects the United States. The public can easily lose confidence in the military if political neutrality is abandoned.
In early June, Trump spoke to the troops at Fort Bragg. There was reporting that the soldiers in the audience were “handpicked for a political point of view,” to hear the politically charged remarks Trump delivered. MAGA merchandise was sold on base. Military.com called it “blurring the long-standing and sacrosanct line between the military and partisan politics.”
Then, on July 7, the military swept through MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. Mayor Karen Bass posted video, writing that just minutes before this happened, “there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through.” She demanded that it end immediately, calling it “absolutely outrageous.” Tuesday, there was news that more than 2,000 military members who have remained in federal status in California despite the absence of even a hint of violent protests have finally been released, with no fanfare.
https://joycevance.substack.com/p/why-we-dont-politicize-the-military
