Thread by @vietthanhsports

Worry rises in military over Trump's decision-making
By Barbara Starr and Nicole Gaouette, CNN
A long-serving military officer put it bluntly, telling CNN "there is a morale problem," and senior Pentagon officials have privately said they are disturbed by the President's behavior

Dismay in the Pentagon has been building over Trump's sporadic, impulsive and contradictory decision-making on a range of issues, including his sudden pullback of troops in Syria. But now there are new and significant worries, as multiple military officials and retired officers

say Trump's intervention into high-profile war crimes cases cannot be ignored. Fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer wrote Wednesday in a Washington Post op-ed that Trump's intervention was "shocking and unprecedented. ...

It was also a reminder that the president has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices." In fact, senior Pentagon officials had been unanimously opposed to the President's

intervention because they believed it would undermine military discipline and order. rump continues to be influenced by the network in ways that encourage him to politicize the military, an institution that is meant to stay above the political fray.

Top military leaders say they are concerned about Trump's divisive rhetoric and politicization of the military. They also tell CNN they worry the President's mercurial management style -- often expressed through tweets -- may be undermining national security

two senior military officers were reluctant to appear alongside Trump at events in recent months, because of unease that he might make partisan political remarks while they were present, Several senior commanders are considering writing a memo

to the troops reminding them of their moral and legal responsibilities on the battlefield, it appear like, as if there's really not accountability, that if people violate their oath or commit crimes, there's a way out," said retired Marine Corps Colonel David Lapan,

Even more worrying, "the military is divided," one official said. "There are two camps. Half are ardent Trump supporters that believe the President is watching out for the troops." But the other half, many of whom are high ranking, believe

the military must remain independent of partisan political influence and they don't see the President adhering to that. Spencer pulled no punches in a CBS interview that aired Monday, saying the President fails to understand "the full definition of a warfighter," adding,

a warfighter is a profession of arms and a profession of arms has standards that they have to be held to, One young officer pushed back, suggesting just as Spencer has that the President fundamentally misunderstands the military, its culture and its ethos. "That is not who we are

Trump's attacks led Gen. Joseph Dunford, who was just hours before retiring from his own 40-year career, to take the extraordinary step of opposing the President to defend Vindman, who had served on his staff."He says 'my generals' and 'my military,'

he sees the military as belonging to him as opposed to belonging to the nation,
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a November interview that America under Trump was "turning its back on us.

In Asia, analysts say Trump is destabilizing the longstanding relationship with South Korea, where 28,000 US troops are based, and Japan, by demanding they each pay 400% more for the American presence next year.

"They had no clue what they needed to do," Hertling said of military leaders, who were caught "flat footed" and continue to try to figure out how to respond.. In the interim, it creates confusion on the ground that can damage soldiers' confidence in the chain of command.
"

When you're a commander and a subordinate comes up and says, 'what the hell are we doing,' it undermines trust and credibility," he said.

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