Biden slammed by veterans group for using Marines ‘as props’ in partisan speech: It ‘erodes trust’ in military

FIRST ON FOX: A veterans’ organization slammed President Biden on Friday for using Marines “as props” in his partisan speech, warning it “erodes trust” in the military.

Concerned Veterans for America deputy director and U.S. Marine Corps veteran John Byrnes blasted Biden for having Marines visibly positioned behind him during his inflammatory speech on Thursday, in which he said that the influence of “MAGA Republicans” on the GOP “is a threat to this country.”

Byrnes said that American “men and women in uniform serve the country, not a party” and “take a solemn oath that should not be taken lightly or taken advantage of.”

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“When elected officials use our troops as props in political and partisan messaging, it undermines the nonpartisan nature of our military and erodes trust in the institution,” Byrnes warned.

A White House official told Fox News Digital the “President gave an important speech last night about our democracy and our values, values that our men and women in uniform fight every day to protect.”

“The presence of Marines at the speech was intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the President has for their service to these ideals and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy, no matter which party is in power,” the official continued.

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The official also pointed to the White House’s previous statements claiming Biden’s speech taking aim at “MAGA Republicans” and calling them a threat to democracy was not partisan or political.

According to government watchdogs, Biden’s usage of the Marines for his speech may be against military code.

Mike Chamberlain, the director of government watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust, told Fox News Digital the “President may be exempt from most provisions of the Hatch Act, but members of the military are prohibited from participating in partisan political activity while on duty or in uniform.”

“In addition to potential violations by their superiors for coercing their participation in this event, the administration may be exposing these service personnel to possible allegations of misconduct for improperly engaging in political activity,” Chamberlain said.

“While the administration often offers criticisms of its predecessors for norm-breaking activities, this represents another example of them copying and pasting the same behavior,” he continued.

Chamberlain added the “American public expects the same standards to apply to government officials, from the President on down, regardless of which party or administration they are part of.”

Kendra Arnold, executive director for the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, told Fox News Digital that, generally speaking, “there is a separation between official government communications and overtly political communications.”

“This both protects taxpayer funds and the public’s confidence that our government is not a political entity,” Arnold said. “Also, given that they were prominently visible behind the President, I would add that the military should never be used for partisan political purposes.”

“The men and women of our Armed Forces serve and protect the freedom of all Americans, not a particular political party or ideological agenda,” she added.

Speaking in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia during remarks billed as his “Battle for the Soul of the Nation” speech Thursday night, Biden repeatedly slammed the “MAGA Republicans” and called out former President Donald Trump by name as being threats to democracy.

The White House insisted it was not a campaign speech despite Biden’s partisan attacks and urging Americans to “vote, vote, vote!”

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that line on Friday, saying that “for him, this was not a political speech. This was an opportunity in primetime to talk directly to the American people and to be very clear, clear with a clear voice to talk about what is happening in our country today. And it was about our values as a country, about our democracy, as a country.” 

“And so that is what the president wanted to convey. And he believes the men and women who wear the uniform and protect the best way that I can explain how the president was thinking about this last night. You know, when it comes to, you know, when it comes to the soul of the nation, this is something that the president has talked about. As I mentioned for years, he has seen where we are headed as a country. He has been concerned where our democracy is going,” she added. 

Many critics, including members of the establishment media, appeared shocked by the partisan nature of the primetime address. 

Several White House communications advisers rejected the criticisms while pointing back to the media’s own reporting.

Fox News Digital’s Joseph Wulfsohn contributed reporting.