Donald Trump just got called out by someone he probably did not expect, a Marine veteran who spent 24 years serving his country. Doug Krugman, a colonel who fought for America, says he left the military because of President Trump. He did not say it lightly. He said it with the kind of honesty that makes you stop and think about what this country is turning into under Trumpβs leadership.
In a powerful piece for The Washington Post, Krugman explained that he could no longer serve under a president who treats the Constitution like a suggestion instead of the law. He said he gave up his career out of concern for the countryβs future. Those are heavy words coming from a man who spent more than two decades defending that very country.
Krugmanβs resignation came after Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a flashy meeting with military leaders in Virginia. Trump reportedly told top officers, βIf you do not like what I am saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future.β That was enough for Krugman. He left that day. He said it was his final act of service, not to a man, but to the Constitution.
He also warned that the United States is heading toward what he called a collapse of its traditional government system if Trumpβs actions continue. And he urged others in uniform to pay attention. βThey should be confident in questioning possibly immoral or illegal orders,β he wrote. βIf they have doubts about their orders, they are not alone.β
It takes courage to say that. It also takes patience to serve for 24 years and then decide you have had enough because the person in charge is playing games with democracy.
Krugman said his doubts began on January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol after being told to fight like hell. He said seeing extremists waving Trump flags inside the halls of Congress made him question what he was really defending. He stayed in the military a bit longer, hoping things would improve. But when Trump returned to the White House in 2025 and started pardoning the very people who had attacked democracy, that was the breaking point.
For Krugman, the message was simple. You cannot swear an oath to protect the Constitution and then serve a man who disrespects it every chance he gets. He said Trumpβs decisions showed little connection to reality and were based more on personal power than principle.
He also pointed to Trumpβs refusal to help Afghan allies who had risked their lives for American troops. βIgnoring reality to take advantage of vague laws to assume emergency powers is also immoral,β Krugman wrote. βThese are not the kinds of actions that I am willing to risk my life to defend.β
Krugman also criticized Trumpβs orders to send National Guard troops to states that never asked for them. He said it crossed legal limits and showed how far Trump was willing to go to show off his power. The moment Trump declared Portland, Oregon, a war zone, Krugman said it became clear that the president was more interested in theatrics than truth.
He ended his piece with a serious warning to both voters and leaders.
βIf voters and legislators cannot close the gaps in our laws to clarify the limits of presidential power, those who serve our government will continue to struggle. The next president of either party may continue us down this path toward collapse,β he said.
It is not every day that a Marine veteran openly says he quit because of the commander in chief. But Krugman did it. And he did it in a way that reminds everyone that loyalty should never belong to one person. It should belong to the Constitution, the country, and the people.
Featured image via Youtube screengrab