To the President of the United States, and to the Citizens of the United States:
It has recently come to my attention that statements have been made by the President asserting that presidential authority is restrained only by “personal morality.” Public remarks have also been made, even if offered in jest, suggesting the possibility of a third term in office. I do not consider such remarks appropriate.
Under the constitutional system of the United States, presidential authority is not self-defined. It is constrained by law, by institutions, and by explicit constitutional limits. Any attempt to remain in office beyond those limits would require the invocation of extraordinary powers justified only under conditions of genuine national emergency. Such powers are, by their nature, temporary and must be relinquished once the emergency has passed.
I write both to you, Mr. President, and to the citizens of the United States to remind them that restraints on presidential power exist independent of any individual’s judgment or intent. They do not derive from personal morality. They derive from the Constitution itself.
Officers of the United States Navy and the broader Armed Forces do not swear an oath to the President. They swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States. They are not shielded from prosecution for complying with unlawful orders. No order is lawful merely because it is issued by a superior. Each officer in the chain of command bears an independent obligation to assess the legality of an order, and all officers involved must assent to its lawfulness for it to be executed.
The oath is unambiguous:
“I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
I write this as a former United States Navy officer who continues to take that oath seriously.
At the same time, there is a growing body of evidence that organized, armed, funded, and militant groups operate within the United States with the aim of undermining lawful government authority. These individuals possess God-given rights, including the right to keep and bear arms as recognized by the Second Amendment.
However, natural rights do not negate constitutional order. The Constitution grants the President both the authority and the obligation to call forth the military to suppress efforts to violently undermine the government. I do not believe anyone wishes to see that threshold crossed.
I therefore urge restraint — in rhetoric and in action — so as not to place members of the Armed Forces in a position where they would be forced to decide between potentially unlawful orders and their sworn duty to the Constitution. In such circumstances, it will be military officers, not courts in Washington, who are compelled to act in real time, under irreversible conditions.
Armed militias have no plausible path to prevailing against the United States Armed Forces. Nevertheless, their continued unlawful and unsanctioned operation poses a grave risk to the political stability of the nation. The damage they inflict on public trust, civil order, and institutional legitimacy may not be repairable after the fact. These organizations operate without adequate regard for the consequences their actions impose on the country as a whole.
For that reason, I further urge the citizens of the United States to withdraw support from any organizations engaged in armed efforts to undermine constitutional governance, and to provide lawful evidence leading to the civil arrest of those who organize or direct such activities. Given the seriousness of this matter, I encourage citizens to circulate this letter freely and independently.
Very respectfully,
Shammah Chancellor
Former Lieutenant, USN
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