I would later tell folks that the Gallagher and Vindman examples were best understood as Trump pressing his thumb into a soccer ball. It’s hard to do, and he can cause a small indentation for as long as he keeps his finger in place, but the moment he relents it goes back to its original form. This is the strength of America’s institutions, and especially the U.S. military. It is both strong and resilient. And the armed forces’ values, ethos, rules, protocols, heritage, and most especially its oath to the Constitution guarantee that it will endure and remain apolitical. No single person, not
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