Key Takeaways
- Janessa Goldbeck, a US Marine veteran and CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, has been warning about the dangers of a Trump presidency and its impact on the military and democracy.
- Trump has deployed national guard troops to various cities, sparking protests and concerns about the politicization of the military.
- Goldbeck has been working with local officials, activists, and journalists to prepare for and respond to Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement and potential use of the military to cling to power.
- The deployments have been met with resistance from national guard members, who feel they are being used as a political tool and are not trained for the mission they are being asked to execute.
- Goldbeck fears that Trump may use the military to intimidate voters and stay in power, and that this could have long-term consequences for the professionalism and apolitical nature of the military.
Introduction to Janessa Goldbeck’s Work
Janessa Goldbeck has probably imagined every worst-case scenario, and in 2023, she consulted on a documentary that war-gamed a presidential candidate staging a military coup. Last year, she advised local leaders on the hypothetical scenario of troops being deployed to their streets for immigration enforcement. Then, Donald Trump won, and Goldbeck’s nightmare came true. As the chief executive of Vet Voice Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy organization, Goldbeck has been working tirelessly to prepare for and respond to Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement and potential use of the military to cling to power.
The Politicization of the Military
Since returning to the White House, Trump has sought to politicize the military like no other commander-in-chief before him, using it as a cudgel against Democratic-led states and cities. He has deployed thousands of national guard troops to Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, and Washington DC, triggering protests from local officials and residents. Goldbeck saw this coming and has been working with local officials, activists, and journalists to prepare for and respond to Trump’s actions. The Vet Voice Foundation has been a vital resource for governors, state attorneys general, and mayors trying to weather the storm.
The Impact on National Guard Members
It would be a mistake to assume that all national guard members are Make America Great Again (Maga) diehards eager to do Trump’s bidding. In every city except the capital, their role has eventually been restricted by courts to guarding federal property. Some have told Goldbeck that it is tedious and unfulfilling work. There’s a wide range of feelings among the folks Goldbeck has spoken to, ranging from boredom to anger because they’ve been taken away from their families and their jobs. Most guardsmen make more in their civilian jobs than they do when they’re deployed, but they signed up to serve their communities, not to police their friends and neighbors or to be deployed into "hostile territory" where the governors and local police have said they are not wanted.
The Consequences of Trump’s Actions
Last month, two West Virginia national guard members were shot in a targeted ambush near the White House by Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries, while 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe survived and has been released from hospital. Goldbeck comments that the president is putting these folks in danger unnecessarily, especially when they’re not necessarily trained for the mission they’re being asked to execute. The deployments have also been embarrassing, with national guard members seen picking up litter, helping commuters with luggage, and feeding squirrels. Goldbeck continues that this is humiliating to our service members and shows how deep this president’s disdain is for people who serve in uniform and how little he understands about the actual ethos of the military and what it’s there to do.
Goldbeck’s Background and Activism
Janessa Goldbeck’s own story is testimony to the diverse, non-monolithic nature of the military. She was raised in San Diego by parents who were "children of the ’60s and ’70s" and were "vegetarian pacifist Hindus." Her mother was an elementary school teacher, and her father drove a tow truck. Goldbeck attended Northwestern University, studying journalism and African studies, and became the national student leader of a movement to compel the government to protect civilians in Darfur, Sudan. Her activism in Washington brought her into contact with military and security personnel, and she observed a disconnect between humanitarian workers and the security forces that enable their operations. To bridge this gap and gain a "master’s degree, so to speak, in military," she decided to join the Marine Corps at age 25.
The Threat to the Military’s Apolitical Nature
Goldbeck is concerned that the military’s status as an apolitical institution is under threat from Trump. She says that this administration is doing harm to the world and to the nation in a lot of different ways, but one of her chief concerns is about this generational harm that it’s doing to the professionalism and the apolitical nature of the military. Trump is being aided and abetted by Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, who has railed against "woke" culture and insisted that women should not be in combat roles. Goldbeck responds that Hegseth is unequivocally the least qualified person who ever led the department of defense. She states that in the decade since women have served successfully in combat roles, standards have not been lowered, and it’s infuriating to see this fight being litigated again.
Conclusion
Janessa Goldbeck’s work and warnings are a testament to the importance of protecting the military’s apolitical nature and the dangers of politicizing the military. The deployments of national guard troops to various cities and the potential use of the military to cling to power are serious concerns that require immediate attention. As Goldbeck says, "I hope that people have learned that this administration, this president, mean what they say, even if it sounds absurd or anti-American or anti-democratic. They mean it. I absolutely think that this president wants to remain in power much longer, for as long as he can." It’s crucial that we listen to Goldbeck’s warnings and take action to protect our democracy and the military’s apolitical nature.
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