Bergman stays quiet while Trump builds his private army

Donald Trump stood in front of cameras this week, bragged twice that he wants to be a dictator, and then signed an executive order carving out a “special” National Guard force that answers to him.

He literally wants his own standing army.

So what does Jack Bergman, a man who wore the uniform for decades, do in response?

He folds his arms, zips his lips, and plays the part of Trump’s congressional butler.

Trump is building his police state cosplay one EO at a time.

He wants troops ready to deploy into American cities on his personal command, with governors and communities sidelined like extras in one of his bad reality shows.

Every veteran knows that loyalty to their country means standing up against tyranny and refusing to clap along while a wannabe dictator rolls out his playbook.

Bergman’s silence is a betrayal.

He will let Trump play tin-pot tyrant as long as it keeps him in the MAGA good graces.

Here’s how this plays out if Bergman continues to do nothing:

Trump gets his “specialized” Guard units, and suddenly proving he is “tough” means unleashing live fire on Main Street USA instead of a war zone abroad.

Trump is not inventing a new trick here.

We saw it in his last presidency when cabinet positions were handed out like party favors, from Betsy DeVos at Education to grease the skids for her brother’s mercenary empire to the parade of donors and cronies who bought themselves seats at the table.

His corruption never paused, never slowed, and never had anything to do with service. Every move he makes points back to the same obsession: absolute power, so his greed and his sins can go unchecked.

Service means protecting democracy, protecting families, and protecting the Constitution.

Jack Bergman has forgotten what service means and what faith requires when morality is on the line.

That is why I am running.

And it is why I always start with “saving democracy” whenever I am asked why I’m running or when I stand in front of voters.

Executive orders like this one, and the rhetoric that comes with it, show how fragile our freedoms can become when strongmen are given free rein.

Fair wages, affordable healthcare, support for small businesses, and a stronger economy all depend on a functional system of government with checks and balances.

If democracy breaks down under Trump and Bergman’s silence, none of it moves forward.

We cannot lower prescription drug prices, protect rural hospitals, or invest in Northern Michigan jobs if autocrats are tearing up the rulebook.

Defending democracy is not just one issue on the list, it is the foundation for making progress on all of them.

Chip in today. Let’s flip this seat, retire Jack Bergman’s silence, and build a Congress that fights for working families instead of bowing to strongmen.

Wayne Stiles - Democrat for Congress