Two Democratic lawmakers sent a letter this week to top Pentagon officials asking them to ensure that the military stays out of the 2024 election, domestic affairs and politics as former President Trump has campaigned on sending federal troops to the southern border and cities struggling with crime.

“There is no greater responsibility than the oath of office we swear to the Constitution,” Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), a former Navy helicopter pilot, wrote in a statement. “Donald Trump betrayed that oath time and again, particularly on January 6 when he jeopardized the peaceful transfer of power.

“As we prepare for another presidential election, we are calling on our military leaders to reject improper political influence and to take necessary steps to preserve the bedrock foundation of our democracy.”

Sherrill wrote the letter alongside Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a former CIA officer, to call on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other senior military officials to serve as “guardrails against using the military in domestic affairs” and to “preserve the system that our Founding Fathers designed.”

They specifically called on the Pentagon to reaffirm that federal law prohibits the direct participation........

© The Hill