LETTER: Private army

Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 14, 2026

Concerns are growing that Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for a force that could function more like a private army than a traditional public institution.

This is not about routine law enforcement or national defense. It is about loyalty, control and the use of taxpayer dollars to build security structures that answer to one individual rather than to the Constitution and the rule of law.

Recent proposals and rhetoric emphasizing the expansion of federalized policing powers, mass deputization and the use of military or quasi-military forces domestically should alarm Americans across the political spectrum.

Our system was designed with safeguards precisely to prevent any president from commanding a personal enforcement arm. Civilian control of the military, separation of powers and independent law enforcement exist to ensure that no leader can use force to target political opponents or silence dissent.

History shows that democracies erode not all at once, but gradually through normalization of extraordinary powers, the politicization of security forces and the weakening of institutional independence.

When leaders demand personal loyalty over constitutional duty, the line between public service and private allegiance begins to blur.

Taxpayer funds must never be used to create structures that place any president above accountability. Americans should insist on transparency, congressional oversight and clear legal limits on domestic security authority.

This is not a partisan issue. Whether conservative, liberal or independent, we all share a stake in preserving a system where no leader commands a personal force.

The strength of our republic depends on it.

Brian Berry

Sequim