The saying “truth is stranger than fiction” has taken on new meaning under President Donald Trump.
The Air Force arrested an airman under a rarely invoked military law after he publicly criticized Trump. Meanwhile, the Pentagon hired a former Marine Corps officer convicted under the same law for a senior Defense Department role.
Maj. Jason Watson now faces charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for publicly demanding Trump’s impeachment, including during a July protest on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
Maj. Jason Watson Faces Multiple Charges
CNN listed the charges Watson is facing: “three violations of Article 88 for alleged ‘contemptuous’ remarks about Trump, five violations of Article 92 for allegedly disobeying orders and two violations of Article 133 for alleged conduct unbecoming of an officer.”
The news outlet confirmed the charges with the Air Force.
“Maj. Watson will continue to be held in pre-trial confinement,” a spokesperson told the network. “Airmen are afforded the right to due process, and considered innocent until proven guilty, in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
The charges are related to an interview with a Substack newsletter in June, Watson’s protest at the Capitol in July, and an August 17 interview with CNN.
In the interview last month with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Watson called Trump “a failure as president.”
“Not only is [Trump] a failure as president, he is flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption, and is killing Americans,” he said, adding, “And that is unacceptable to me.”
Air Force prosecutors accuse Watson of disobeying orders and breaking Defense Department regulations against speaking out on political issues, CNN reported. They also allege he “wrongfully” wore his uniform at the Capitol event last month, among other accusations.
Watson’s attorney Chris Mutimer told CNN the airman is jailed in solitary confinement as he awaits a military trial.
“He truly believes in everything about our constitution and what it represents, and the oath that he swore, and he stands by the fact that he did this so others wouldn’t have to, and to share that to anyone who’s scared and feels alone,” Mutimer told Burnett.
What Is the Uniform Code of Military Justice?
The charges against Watson are exceedingly rare; only two convictions under this law have occurred since it was enacted in 1951. The law was invoked once in 1965 and again under former President Joe Biden.
In 2021, under the Biden administration, the Marine Corps court-martialed Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller for posting social media videos criticizing military and civilian leaders, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.
Scheller was unhappy with how the Biden administration handled the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He accused Biden and military officials of “incompetence” and called for “accountability.”
Scheller, who was also jailed by the military before his trial, pleaded guilty to contempt of officials and other charges, CNN reported. As part of his sentence, he forfeited $5,000 of pay and resigned from the Marines without a pension.
Social Media Calls Out the Hypocrisy
The irony of Scheller’s case is that Trump’s Pentagon hired the disgraced Marine as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shortly after Trump took office in 2025.
On social media, critics shared their views on the case, including how disappointed and disillusioned they are with the military under Trump’s Defense Chief Pete Hegseth.
In a post on X, Washington Post reporter Dan LaMothe stated, “Absolutely a loss in AFG. But my understanding is that the UCMJ article does not distinguish between criticism of senior officials based on winning or losing. In Stu’s case, the comments extended to both appointees and general officers. He is open about this, then and now.”
A Threads user joined in posting, “They have completely ruined the only true meritocracy America had to offer.”
Another pointed out, “It wouldn’t be MAGA without hypocrisy.” “Free him,” someone else wrote.
This Threads user put it this way: “They have already ruined the military. We are no longer the best fighting force when you remove those at the top who hit you there. Women and poc have been abused by the military while making bigger sacrifices than the men who they say are qualified, but many aren’t. They are just loyal.”
