U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Watson is facing an array of charges following his scathing public criticism of President Donald Trump in 2025. And according to Washington Post reporter Dan Morse, Watson’s case is fueling heated legal debates on military law.
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On his Substack channel, Watson described Trump as a “greedy, unintelligent, narcissistic, pathological liar, traitor, and coward.” And during a demonstration outside the U.S. Capitol Building, the U.S. Air Force major held up a sign that read “Impeach, Convict, Remove.”
Watson, according to Morse, is facing military charges that include “10 counts covering six incidents: the Substack post, two media interviews, the Capitol steps protest, and two accusations of disobeying orders involving personal travel and his more recent uniform requirements.” The major, Morse reports, is accused of “dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming of an officer.”
“If convicted on all counts, according to military law experts, the 17-year veteran will probably lose all retirement pay and benefits and could face time in a military prison,” Watson explains. “Watson’s case highlights the high standards that military officers are held to when it comes to criticizing the president and other officials. It pits the importance of political neutrality in the armed forces versus an active-duty major who says his oath to the Constitution is driving his actions.”
According to military law attorneys interviewed by the Post, Watson could face up to ten years in prison if convicted on all counts — although a more likely sentence could range from three months to three years.
Watson views his public criticism of Trump as consistent with his constitutional duty, telling CNN, earlier this month, “If I don’t sacrifice something, if I don’t give something up, then it’s just words. And words are easy to ignore.”
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But Joshua Tolin, a former military prosecutor who now represents members of the U.S. Armed Forces as a defense attorney, told the Post, “It would have been OK if, while not in uniform, he criticized President Trump’s policies. But he crossed several lines.”
Robert Capovilla, another former military prosecutor, notes that Article 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice bars active-duty service members from openly expressing “contemptuous words” against the president.
Capovilla told the Post, “Making those statements is a problem for him. They appear to be contemptuous by their nature…. It’s very rare to see these charges, but it’s just as rare to see an officer make these kinds of comments in such open forums.”
Gary Barthel, another former military prosecutor, “People sometimes are shocked that service members don’t get to exercise the constitutional rights that the rest of us do…. Was the language he used conventional political rhetoric? Was he describing the president’s conduct rather than expressing a personal disdain?”
But Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal Coalition and a Watson supporter, told the Post, “Our nation and Constitution are under siege by an executive who makes a daily spectacle of his oath, shattering lives and institutions in the process. He didn’t ask any of his fellow service members to emulate him, but his sacrifice should put to shame our members of Congress, whose failure to remove Donald Trump from the presidency has forced such a rare act of patriotism.”
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