Air Force major arrested after Capitol steps protest
An active-duty U.S. Air Force major was arrested Wednesday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol after joining a protest calling for President Trump’s impeachment while still in uniform. The officer, identified as Maj. Jason Watson, took part in a press event tied to Rep. Al Green of Texas and the Removal Coalition, then stood on the Capitol steps with a sign reading, “Impeach, Convict, Remove.” Capitol Police said officers ordered him to stop demonstrating in that spot and arrested him after he refused. The charge cited by police was 22-1307, “Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding,” which is a tidy bit of government language for “you are standing where you were told not to stand.”
Watson’s speech targeted Trump and the administration
Watson opened his remarks with the oath of office before blasting Trump and accusing the administration of violating the Constitution. He said the American people were “the greatest threat to our Democratic Republic,” claimed officials had acted “with impunity,” and repeated that the president and vice president should be “impeached, convicted, and removed.” He also folded in a long list of familiar left-wing grievances, including military operations abroad, USAID cuts, immigration enforcement, federal law enforcement, lawsuits involving universities and media companies, tariffs, and even the White House UFC event. In other words, it was a greatest-hits set of modern activist politics, with the Capitol steps serving as the stage.
Al Green praised the arrest scene
Rep. Al Green, who was present for the impeachment press conference, later posted video defending Watson and calling his action courageous. Green said he had witnessed “a Major in the United States Military bend the arc of a memorial toward justice,” and argued that Watson showed the kind of courage needed to make “liberty and justice for all” real. Capitol Police took a different view. A spokesperson said the officers gave lawful orders, Watson refused, and he was arrested for the obstruction-related offense. Police also noted that there are “plenty of other spots on Capitol Grounds where demonstrating is allowed,” which is the sort of statement that should not need saying, but here we are.
Military rules could complicate his career
The case could put Watson in trouble under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. UCMJ Article 88 bars commissioned officers from using contemptuous words against the president, vice president, Congress, and certain other officials, and it allows punishment by court-martial. Watson has been active duty since 2005 and is currently on leave from his role as a logistics readiness officer in Poland. Whether the Air Force moves forward with discipline is not yet clear, but the military tends to notice when one of its officers uses a public Capitol protest to call for the commander in chief’s removal. The system, naturally, will now have to decide whether this was protected political theater or a very public breach of military standards. Bureaucracies do love a test case, especially one in uniform.
WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.
Leave a Comment