By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
MIAMI (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told troops in a memo released on Thursday that the Pentagon was committed to an orderly transition to the incoming administration of Donald Trump, and that the military would not get involved in politics and was ready to carry out “all lawful orders.”
Trump was elected president on Tuesday, capping a remarkable comeback four years after he was voted out of the White House and ushering in a new U.S. leadership likely to test the resilience of democratic institutions at home and relations abroad.
During an interview last month, Trump was asked if he was expecting “chaos” on Election Day, and he appeared to suggest the military could be deployed against citizens who oppose him.
In a memo to U.S. troops that was sent out on Wednesday night and publicly released on Thursday, Austin said, “the U.S. military will also continue to stand apart from the political arena; to stand guard over our republic with principle and professionalism; and to stand together with the valued allies and partners who deepen our security.”
Speaking with reporters later on Wednesday in Miami, Austin said he believed senior Pentagon leaders will continue to do the right thing.
“These senior leaders will stay focused on the task at hand, and it is defending this country, taking care of our troops, succeeding through teamwork,” he said.
America’s friends and foes alike remain wary as they await Trump’s return to office on Jan. 20, wondering whether his second term will be filled with the kind of turbulence and unpredictability that characterized his first four years.
Critics say that during his 2017-21 administration Trump openly flouted norms of behavior in open pursuit of political support among U.S. troops, who are meant to be loyal to the U.S. Constitution, not to any party or political movement or leader.
During his campaign, Trump talked about facing an “enemy from within.”
Austin wrote in the memo: “As it always has, the U.S. military will stand ready to carry out the policy choices of its next Commander in Chief, and to obey all lawful orders from its civilian chain of command.
“You are the United States military – the finest fighting force on Earth – and you will continue to defend our country, our Constitution, and the rights of all of our citizens,” he added.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; editing by Christina Fincher, Mark Heinrich and Jonathan Oatis)
