WASHINGTON (AP) — All 10 living former secretaries of defense have joined in cautioning against any attempt to use the military in the cause of overturning November's presidential election.
The former Pentagon chiefs, both Republicans and Democrats, put their names to an opinion article published Sunday in The Washington Post. The group urges Congress to accept Joe Biden as the next president.
The article says the time for questioning the results of the election has passed. And they say that attempting to involve the military in resolving election disputes would take the county "into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory.”
While not naming President Donald Trump, the article appears as Trump and his allies continue to falsely claim fraud spoiled November's election.
The group included former secretaries James Mattis, Mark Esper, Ashton Carter, Dick Cheney, William Ochen, Robert Gates, Chuck Hagel, Leon Panetta, William Perry and Donald Rumsfield.
Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen says the letter was made necessary because President Trump is following an unconstitutional path.
