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The United States Air Force has issued multiple charges against a decorated airman over his public statements earlier this summer calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
In addition to Trump, Major Jason Watson also called for Vice President J.D. Vance’s impeachment during a demonstration outside the U.S. Capitol building on July 2. He reiterated his demands for impeachment in subsequent interviews afterward.
Watson’s lawyer, Christopher Mutimer, indicated on Tuesday that the airman is facing possible charges relating to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Air Force later confirmed that those charges had been issued, and that Watson was being held in pre-trial confinement.
Watson’s arrest at the U.S. Capitol in early July occurred during a protest involving multiple organizations and speakers who were critical of the White House’s decision to start a war in Iran without congressional authorization and other military actions. Watson held a sign at that event that read, “impeach, convict, remove.”
“When the president of the United States orders military action against foreign countries — absent an emergency scenario where American interests are under imminent dire threats, as was done with Venezuela, Cuba and Iran — that’s an unconstitutional usurpation of Congress’s authority and a violation of the War Powers Clause,” Watson said at the event.
Rules of the U.S. Capitol stipulate that protests on the steps of the building can only occur when individuals are accompanied by a federal lawmaker. When Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) had to leave in the middle of the demonstration, Capitol Police detained Watson for breaking those rules.
The Air Force has indicated that Watson has been charged with 10 violations under three sections of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Those include claims that he violated Article 92 of the provision (engaging in dereliction of duty) and Article 133 (actions unbecoming of an officer).
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Watson, who has served in the Air Force for nearly two decades, also faces unusual charges relating to Article 88 of the code, a little-used provision that forbids “contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, [and] Congress.” According to Mutimer, Watson is the first major in U.S. military history to face charges under that article.
A conviction under that provision could be difficult to prove, as the military would have to demonstrate that Watson’s words weren’t just critical of Trump and Vance, but also made out of contempt for them — that is, out of hate or purposeful disrespect.
The high burden of proof to convict Watson could turn the case into a free speech issue — while members of the military are not protected as strongly under the provisions of the First Amendment, they are not completely deprived of their speech rights under military regulations.
If convicted, Watson could be dismissed from the Air Force, and could lose future benefits that would have been afforded to him, including his retirement. He could also face the possibility of imprisonment.
Responding to the charges against his client, Mutimer said that “Major Watson acted knowing the risks to his career and his liberty.”
“It is my hope that other Americans who feel powerless in this moment will take some measure of courage from his willingness to speak and to stand by his convictions,” Mutimer added.
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