๐จ โI RESIGNED BECAUSE OF TRUMPโ โ MARINE COLONEL JOHNNY JOEY JONES WALKS AWAY AFTER 24 YEARS OF SERVICE ๐จ
In a bombshell column published in The Washington Post, Marine Corps Colonel Johnny Joey Jones stunned the nation by revealing his decision to resign from active duty after 24 years of service. His resignation, he stated, was driven by a deep, unwavering conviction that President Donald Trump was unfit to lead the military and had endangered the very foundations of American democracy. Jonesโ searing commentary presents a passionate, moral stand against the actions of a commander-in-chief whose leadership he believes compromised the Constitution and the integrity of the United States.
โI could not swear without reservation to follow a commander in chief who seemed so willing to disregard the Constitution,โ Jones wrote. โPresident Trumpโs actions became increasingly difficult for me to justify, culminating with the Jan. 6 attack on Congress.โ His words are a clear condemnation of Trumpโs conduct, particularly surrounding the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which Jones believes represented the ultimate betrayal of the nationโs democratic principles.
The Moment of Reckoning
Jonesโ resignation was not a rash decision. In fact, it had been brewing for some time. In the column, he recounts his growing unease with the president’s actions over the past several years. He describes how the pivotal moment came when Trump summoned military leaders, including generals and admirals, to a controversial and highly partisan meeting at Quantico. At this meeting, Trump reportedly issued a stark ultimatum: โIf you donโt like what Iโm saying, you can leave the room. There goes your rank. There goes your future.โ
Jones, a decorated combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, found this not only an affront to the militaryโs tradition of impartiality but a direct challenge to the values he had sworn to uphold. The idea of military leaders being forced into submission to a partisan agenda was more than Jones could bear. โThe military is not a tool for political power,โ he said in the column. โWe swear an oath to defend the Constitution โ not the will of a man. When that oath is compromised, so too is the soul of the military.โ
Trumpโs Dangerous Rhetoric
However, what ultimately drove Jones to make the decision to resign was the presidentโs increasingly reckless and divisive rhetoric. Jones took particular issue with Trumpโs portrayal of American cities as war zones. In his column, he cited the presidentโs description of Portland as a โwar zoneโ and his claims that protests in Los Angeles would โobliterateโ the city. For Jones, these descriptions were not only false but dangerous, reflecting a complete disconnect from reality and a willingness to escalate tensions in the nationโs streets.
โPresident Trumpโs description of Portland as a โwar zoneโ is as fantastical as his belief that the June protests in a few blocks of Los Angeles would somehow โobliterateโ the massive city of nearly 4 million,โ Jones wrote with conviction. โIn both cases, his words had little connection to reality, and the consequences of those words were devastating.โ
Jones expressed his concern that such incendiary rhetoric could ignite further division within the military. As a colonel with decades of experience, he warned that Trumpโs actions were sowing distrust and fear among the ranks. โWhen a commander-in-chief speaks of war zones in American cities, it instills a dangerous mentality,โ Jones argued. โIt challenges the very core of the militaryโs responsibility to protect American citizens โ not turn against them.โ
A Call to Action for Fellow Service Members
Jones also directed a sharp message to his fellow service members, urging them to question their orders if they ever find themselves in a position where they feel their oath to the Constitution is at odds with the directives they are receiving. He encouraged military personnel to trust their instincts and take a stand against what they might perceive as immoral or illegal actions.
โI do not claim to speak for any other person or institution,โ Jones wrote. โBut if they have doubts about their orders, they are not alone. They should feel confident in questioning possibly immoral or illegal orders, remembering they are responsible for their own actions.โ
This call for ethical responsibility resonates deeply within the military community, where the notion of following orders without question has long been a point of debate. Jonesโ stance challenges the traditional view, urging soldiers to consider the moral and constitutional implications of their actions, especially when the chain of command may be asking them to go against the values they hold dear.
The Breaking Point
For Jones, the breaking point came when the rhetoric and actions of President Trump crossed a line that he could not ignore. Having served in two wars, Jones had seen firsthand the devastation and destruction caused by conflict. He had been in the trenches, risking his life for a cause he believed in โ protecting the freedoms and values that make America great. But under Trumpโs leadership, he believed those values were being undermined.
Jones said that the culmination of these actions, particularly the events surrounding the January 6th Capitol attack, were what finally convinced him to step away. โI stood at the front lines of two wars, knowing that I was fighting to preserve the very freedoms this country was founded on,โ Jones wrote. โBut when I watched the Capitol stormed by a mob of extremists, incited by the man I was supposed to call my commander-in-chief, I knew I could not stay silent any longer.โ
A Final Stand
By resigning, Jones is sending a powerful message: that he will not stand by while a president undermines the Constitution and the values that the military swears to protect. His resignation represents a moral stand against a leader whose actions he believes are corrosive to the fabric of American society.
โI am a soldier, but first and foremost, I am an American,โ Jones concluded. โAnd as an American, I cannot, in good conscience, serve under a president who seeks to divide and destroy the very nation I swore to defend.โ
Jonesโ bold decision to walk away from his military career after 24 years is a powerful reminder of the personal sacrifices many service members make, not just in the field of battle, but in the fight for what is right. His resignation marks a turning point in the relationship between the military and the White House โ and it underscores the moral responsibility that all service members carry to defend the principles of freedom, justice, and equality, regardless of political allegiance.