A former senior U.S. Army commander has warned that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are politicizing the upper ranks of the U.S. military in a manner that "looks a whole lot like a 1940s Stalin problem inside the American military," drawing a direct comparison to the Soviet dictator's purges of senior officers.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, Maj Gen Paul Eaton, who led infantry forces and later oversaw the rebuilding of Iraq's military after the 2003 invasion, said there is "an active effort to politicize the armed forces" that is unmatched in recent U.S. history, adding that the consequences could be long-lasting and difficult to reverse.
"Once you infect the body, the cure may be very difficult and painful for presidents downstream," Eaton told the news outlet.
He argued that the process began with Trump's appointment of Pete Hegseth, a former television host and political ally, as defense secretary. According to the former commander, Hegseth's approach places personal loyalty to the president above the long-standing principle that the military serves the Constitution rather than any individual.
"The military swears an oath to the Constitution," he said. "Reputation is built a drop at a time and emptied in buckets."
Since Trump's return to office, Hegseth has fired or sidelined at least two dozen generals and admirals, including the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top officers of the Navy and Air Force, as a recent sprawling report by The New York Times revealed. The administration has also removed the Pentagon's inspector general and senior military lawyers responsible for advising on the laws of armed conflict.
Eaton said the dismissals send a chilling message throughout the ranks. "Toe the line, or we will fire you," he said. He likened the impact to Stalin's removal of experienced commanders and the insertion of political loyalty tests, noting that while today's officers are not being imprisoned or executed, the effect on institutional confidence is comparable.
He also cited recent U.S. strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in Latin American waters as evidence of the dangers of politicized military decision-making, describing a follow-up strike on survivors as illegal under the laws of war. "It was either a war crime or a murder," he said.
Looking ahead, he warned that the erosion of military norms could extend domestically, pointing to the federalization of National Guard units deployed to U.S. cities over the objections of governors and mayors. Such moves, he said, risk a direct confrontation between federal troops and local authorities. "Sooner or later," he added, "there are going to be people getting hurt who really don't need to get hurt."
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
