A Nation's Gratitude, A Veteran's Oath
A Veterans Day Reflection in 2025
On this Veterans Day, a grateful nation pauses to honor the generations of American veterans who have long stood as the bulwark of liberty, freedom, and the U.S. Constitution. From the frigid encampments of Valley Forge to the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, their unwavering diligence and profound sacrifices have preserved the republic. Yet, in 2025, this day of remembrance arrives amid a charged political climate that has brought to the forefront a critical examination of the veteran’s sworn duty.
For nearly 250 years, American service members have taken an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”[1][2][3][4] This solemn vow, a cornerstone of military service, establishes their ultimate allegiance to the nation’s founding principles, not to any single individual.[1] It is this commitment that has historically defined their service, safeguarding the very freedoms that underpin American society.[5][6]
Veterans have a long and storied history of civic engagement that extends beyond their time in uniform.[7] Organizations such as the American Legion, founded by World War I veterans, have continued to serve their communities, fostering a spirit of civic duty.[8] Many veterans view their involvement in pro-democracy activities as a direct continuation of the oath they took, seeing it as their ongoing responsibility to uphold the Constitution.[9]
However, recent years have seen this traditional understanding of a veteran’s role tested. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested using the U.S. military and National Guard to address domestic political issues and counter his political adversaries, whom he has referred to as the “enemy from within.”[10][11][12][13] In an interview in October 2024, Trump stated his belief that election threats could come from “radical left lunatics” and called for the deployment of the National Guard or the military to counter them.[10]
These remarks have drawn sharp criticism and raised concerns about the potential for unconstitutional orders that would place service members in a position of conflict with their oath. In October 2025, a group of House Democrats, led by Congressman Pat Ryan, publicly rejected what they termed Trump’s “dangerous, unconstitutional military deployments against U.S. citizens.”[14] This followed a speech by the former president at Marine Corps Base Quantico where he reportedly doubled down on the idea of using American cities as “training grounds” to fight a “war from within.”[13][14]
This rhetoric has placed a renewed focus on the core tenets of the military oath of enlistment, which explicitly requires service members to bear “true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution.[1][2][3][4] The oath serves as a reminder that the military’s purpose is to protect the nation and its founding ideals, a principle that transcends political affiliations.[15]
These calls for the domestic use of military force against political opponents are not merely controversial; they touch upon the very definition of impeachable offenses. The U.S. Constitution states that a president can be impeached for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”[16][17][18] While not explicitly defined in the Constitution, “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” has historically been understood by Congress to include abuses of power that violate the public trust, even if they don’t constitute a criminal offense.[19][20][21][22][23] Actions that are seen as a grave injury to the republic and a subversion of the Constitution can fall under this category.
Legal scholars and constitutional experts have argued that a president using their authority to deploy the military against American citizens for political purposes would represent a profound abuse of power.[24] Such an act is a violation of the presidential oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” The framers of the Constitution were deeply concerned about the potential for a president to misuse their power, and the impeachment process was designed as a crucial check on such overreach.[19][25] Therefore, employing the armed forces to suppress domestic dissent is a high crime against the state and the Constitution, triggering impeachment proceedings.
This Veterans Day, the honor we owe our veterans is not one of passive remembrance, but of active citizenship. When the foundational principles of the republic are challenged and the military is spoken of as a tool for domestic political enforcement, the duty to defend the Constitution extends to every American. It is therefore incumbent upon the citizenry to engage fully with their democratic institutions. We must call upon our elected representatives in Congress to uphold their own oaths and hold accountable any official who would violate the sacred trust of the presidency. The time for silence is over; the moment has come to demand that those who swore to protect our Constitution act decisively to remove a leader who threatens its very foundations. This is the ultimate tribute to our veterans: to safeguard the democracy they so bravely protected.
References:
1. Military.com. (n.d.). The US military oath of enlistment. https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/swearing-in-for-military-service.html
2. Army.mil. (n.d.). Oath of enlistment - Army values. https://www.army.mil/values/oath.html
3. U.S. Code. (2011). 10 U.S.C. § 502 - Enlistment oath. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2011-title10/html/USCODE-2011-title10-subtitleA-partII-chap31-sec502.htm
4. Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Armed_Forces_oath_of_enlistment
5. Low VA Rates. (n.d.). 10 freedoms we enjoy thanks to our military. https://lowvarates.com/va-loan-blog/10-freedoms-i-enjoy-thanks-to-the-military/
6. AHA News. (2023, November 10). A salute to those who have kept America safe. https://www.aha.org/news/perspective/2023-11-10-salute-those-who-have-kept-america-safe
7. Ripon Society. (n.d.). Beyond the uniform: Veterans shaping civic and political landscapes. https://riponsociety.org/article/beyond-the-uniform-veterans-shaping-civic-and-political-landscapes/
8. The Imaginative Conservative. (2023, November). Veterans Day and civil society. https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2023/11/veterans-day-civil-society-shaun-rieley.html
9. Horizons Project. (n.d.). The Pillars Project: Veterans and military families. https://horizonsproject.us/the-pillars-project-veterans-and-military-families-url/
10. Washington Post. (2024, October 13). Trump urges military action against ‘people from within’. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-urges-military-action-against-people-from-within/2024/10/13/66310437-1439-47b3-8cf3-b5710072b9c8_video.html
11. YouTube. (2024, October 13). LIVE: Trump sparks fury after calling for military action against political opponents | US Election.
12. PBS News. (2024, October 13). Trump suggests he’ll use the military on ‘the enemy from within’ the U.S. if he’s reelected. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-suggests-hell-use-the-military-on-the-enemy-from-within-the-u-s-if-hes-reelected
13. YouTube. (2024, October 13). Trump’s unlawful call for ‘war’ on citizens met with stony silence from generals.
14. Congressman Pat Ryan. (n.d.). Congressman Pat Ryan leads 25 House Democrats in rejecting Trump’s message to flag officers... https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-pat-ryan-leads-25-house-democrats-rejecting-trumps-message-flag
15. Defense One. (2022, January). Six things veterans can do to strengthen our democracy. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2022/01/six-things-veterans-can-do-strengthen-our-democracy/360408/
16. Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Impeachment in the United States. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States
17. Constitution Annotated. (n.d.). Overview of impeachment clause. Congress.gov. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S4-1/ALDE_00000282/
18. National Archives. (n.d.). The Constitution of the United States: A transcription. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
19. VOA News. (2019, October 3). Why abuse of power is an impeachable offense. https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_impeachment-inquiry_why-abuse-power-impeachable-offense/6180939.html
20. Annenberg Classroom. (n.d.). High crimes and misdemeanors. https://www.annenbergclassroom.org/glossary_term/high-crimes-and-misdemeanors/
21. American Enterprise Institute. (n.d.). What does “high crimes and misdemeanors” mean? https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/what-does-high-crimes-and-misdemeanors-mean/
22. Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). High crimes and misdemeanors. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_crimes_and_misdemeanors
23. Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Impeachable offenses: Overview. https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/article-2/section-4/impeachable-offenses-overview
24. Just Security. (2019, October 3). What sort of “abuse of power” would amount to an impeachable offense? https://www.justsecurity.org/68233/what-sort-of-abuse-of-power-would-amount-to-an-impeachable-offense/
25. U.S. Senate. (n.d.). About impeachment. https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/impeachment.htm