They could not have done this without Trump’s consent. What this really is is street theater. Trump is playing the bad cop, scaring everyone with his aggressiveness and threats to unleash deadly force. The Pentagon is the good cop, holding the bad cop at bay just barely, and asking everyone to please calm down so they can restrain bad cop. And it’s a good act.
Either that, or they have Trump locked up in the basement and this is a coup d’etat.
they have Trump locked up in the basement and this is a coup d’etat.
It sure looks likes coup to me. The JCS is running the DOD without Constitutional civilian control. They ran out the excellent acting Navy secretary for too strongly supporting POTUS. Most likely picked lobbyist Esper for SecDef. Still flying top cover for coupist Vindman and the leaking insubordinate Corona boat captain. Etc., etc
If it quacks like a duck...