Pentagon Warns White House That US Military Will Not Be Politicized After Request To Hide USS John McCain

Reuters reports:

The Pentagon has told the White House that the U.S. military will not be politicized, a U.S. official said on Sunday, amid a controversy after officials directed the United States Navy to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight during a recent speech by President Donald Trump in Japan.

The White House military office directed the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet to minimize the visibility of the USS John S. McCain, a warship bearing the name of Trump’s former political rival, during a speech by the president in Japan last week.

Concern has increased about the politicization of the U.S. military under Trump. He has given a number of overtly political speeches to military audiences and the military has been drawn into a mission along the border with Mexico, which some critics have described as a political stunt rather than a national security necessity.