THE OATH AND THE COWARD
A veteran explains why Trump’s latest outburst is a danger to the Republic
By Dr. John Petrone
I took the oath. I raised my right hand in a military induction center and swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. That oath doesn’t wear off. It doesn’t fade. It does not bend itself to the desires of any president — especially not a draft-dodging narcissist who faked bone spurs to avoid Vietnam while other young Americans bled and died.
So when a group of Democratic lawmakers — all military veterans or national security professionals — released a message reminding the U.S. military of its legal duty to refuse unlawful orders, they weren’t being dramatic. They were doing what responsible leaders with real service under their belts do. They were drawing the line that keeps this nation free.
They said plainly what every service member is taught from day one:
“Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders.”
“The threats to our Constitution are coming from right here at home.”
“Your oath is to the Constitution, not to an individual.”
These were the words of people who have actually served:
Elissa Slotkin, former CIA officer
Mark Kelly, Navy combat pilot and astronaut
Jason Crow, Army Ranger
Maggie Goodlander, senior national security attorney
Chris Deluzio, Navy veteran
Chrissy Houlahan, Air Force veteran
People who have worn the uniform.
People who have seen the cost of war.
People who have held the lives of others in their hands.
They weren’t warning about hypothetical threats. They were warning about this moment.
Trump’s Deranged Reaction
And then came Trump — a man who never served a day, never took the oath, never risked anything. A man who dodged service with fraudulent medical excuses now screams “TREASON!” at those who did serve.
He raged.
He howled sedition.
He threatened death.
He demanded these veterans be “locked up.”
He called honorable public servants traitors because they reminded the troops of the law.
This is not strength.
This is fear.
Only a man who intends to give illegal orders is threatened by the reminder that illegal orders can — and must — be refused.
The Oath Matters
Every veteran knows the truth:
You obey lawful orders.
You refuse unlawful ones.
You swear allegiance to the Constitution — not the president.
Anyone who served learned this. Trump did not.
He never took the oath, so he cannot understand it.
He thinks “Commander-in-Chief” means the military belongs to him personally.
It doesn’t. It never has. It never will.
When veterans and intelligence officers reminded the military of its duty, they were reaffirming a bedrock protection against dictatorship. And Trump responded with threats of execution because he saw his fantasy of unchecked power slipping away.
What Veterans See
Veterans recognize this pattern.
We know insecure men who yell to mask fear.
We know tyrants-in-training who label dissent as treason.
We know people who demand obedience because they’ve never earned respect.
Trump is the loudest man in the room because he’s the weakest.
He calls war heroes traitors while he hides behind rage-filled posts.
He threatens death because he cannot defend his own actions.
He lashes out at veterans because he knows they cannot be intimidated.
And deep down, he knows one undeniable fact:
The military will not follow him into illegality.
That terrifies him.
The Pattern
Veterans speak up → Trump screams treason.
Intelligence officers warn of domestic threats → Trump lashes out.
Lawmakers remind the military of its constitutional duty → Trump threatens death.
This is the authoritarian script.
When a leader begins labeling constitutional fidelity as sedition, the danger is no longer theoretical. The alarms are no longer academic. The warnings from these Democratic veterans are not political. They are protective.
They said it themselves:
“The danger is from within.”
They mean him.
How We Fight Back
We speak openly about the oath.
We explain — loudly — that the military serves the Constitution, not the man in the chair.
We support leaders who reinforce legal limits.
We refuse to normalize presidential threats of death against political opponents.
We amplify the message that veterans and intelligence officers just sent:
Illegal orders must be refused.
No president is above the Constitution.
The oath is stronger than Trump’s ego.
We remind the nation that a draft dodger who panics when veterans speak the truth is not a strong leader. He is a frightened man afraid that the system he wants to break might actually hold.
And then we stay vigilant — because this is exactly how democracies fall, and exactly how they are defended.
Release all of the Epstein Files Now!
Well said.
The American constitution was written by men who recognised tyrannical behaviour. It was written to protect the country from men who had psychological illnesses to guard the nation.
The constitution was written because the forefathers had experienced mental illnesses before, reaching back to the Roman Empire. They sought to protect the fledgling nation.
Look to the constitution for guidance the founders left written advice what to do in such circumstances. The constitution should be your rock in dark times.
He took an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States. He’s not doing a very good job of that. In fact, I would argue he is not doing that and it’s grounds for his impeachment!