China News Service, January 4th. According to Agence France-Presse, on January 3, local time, all 10 living former defense ministers in the United States issued an open letter warning that the US military should not be involved in the presidential election dispute and urged the Pentagon to commit to a peaceful transition of power. .
Data map: US President Trump.
In an article published by the Washington Post, former defense secretaries stated: “Involving the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes will put us into a dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional situation.” They added, trying to Officials who do so may face serious professional (risk) and criminal consequences.
The article pointed out that, except for Lincoln's election as president in 1860, which eventually led to the secession of many southern states that supported slavery and the outbreak of civil war in the United States, the United States has maintained a record of peaceful transition of power.
"This year should be no exception," they wrote.
Among the 10 former defense secretaries, Esper and Mattis were appointed by the current US President Trump.
Ten people pointed out that all legal challenges to the results of the presidential election were rejected by the court, and the voting results were also approved by the governor. "Now is the time to officially confirm the results of the Electoral College."
They also called on Acting Secretary of Defense Miller and all officials of the Department of Defense to provide comprehensive and transparent cooperation for the transition of the President-elect Biden's administration. "We must avoid any political actions that disrupt the results of the election or hinder the success of the new team."
Trump refused to admit that he lost to Biden in the election.
In late December 2020, Biden said that Pentagon officials refused to provide "clear status" about the deployment or budget of the army, "in my opinion, this is completely irresponsible."