Jack is correct that this moment is unprecedented in its form. It is not, however, unprecedented in its logic.
File the date of this refusal — whenever it is confirmed — alongside the dates when other officers in other republics faced the same choice. The historical record of democratic backsliding is full of such moments. What is notable is not that a general said no. What is notable is that a general had to.
Civilian control of the military is not a courtesy. It is the foundational architecture of republican government. When that architecture holds because an officer refuses rather than because an officer obeys, something has already broken. The question is not whether Caine was right to refuse. The question is what it means that refusal was necessary.
Jack is correct that this story will be written about. Historians will want to know which three senators left that briefing white-faced, and what they chose to do afterward. They will want to know whether the 72-hour silence was institutional protection or institutional paralysis. They will want to know whether the chain of command held because of Caine, or in spite of the structure that was supposed to make Caine unnecessary.
Note which question no one in official Washington appears to be asking publicly.
Note what that silence itself tells us.
The reader can finish the sentence.
Jack the fact that you are covering this story confirms for me the rumours that were all over Bsky etc. on Monday we were absolutely, terrifyingly true! I grew up under “the mushroom cloud,” wore ID tags, that I realised years later were actually body id tags. I lived then what was considered a “first strike” area, and that SF Bay Area may still be considered to be. The fact that this actually happened and HE is still in the Oval Office is beyond horrifying, it’s totally INSANE! Looking forward to tomorrows post! Thank you!
This will hopefully shake enough of these complicit cowards in the republican party who have been supporting him to bail on him and impeach. At the very least, the v p needs to pull the trigger on the twenty fifth amendment
One would hope, but I have lost all faith in the Republicans in our Congress who have repeatedly given this so obviously insane occupant of our Oval Office pass, after pass, after pass…Epstein should have ended his Presidency, 34 felon convictions along with being and adjudicated rapist should’ve, and would’ve, ended anyone else attempt to run for President. This guy is more slippery, more teflon that John Gatti, the “Teflon Don” ever was!
I can’t wait, Jack. I’ve heard it, seen the story. In fact, I have a screenshot sitting in my photos right now but I didn’t have the receipts so I was reluctant to share it. I posted it one place with a disclaimer. Five people reacted.. only one shared it. I wasn’t surprised. People seem to think he can always be stopped but can he? Will he? Trump is desperate… in what I’ve heard called “narcissistic collapse” so I knew it was likely true. I’m grateful to General Caine for standing up and saying no.
The question I hope you answer tomorrow is… Can he always be stopped? It’s my understanding that the answer is not necessarily. When he’s told “NO”
again, is there a way around it? My understanding is that there is.
I’ll wait until tomorrow to ask those questions and probably a lot more.
I’ve used this word before but THIS is TERRIFYING!
Frankly, I am surprised that Razin' had the nerve to say "no" since he's said "yes" to everything else, but glad he did. Maybe he's learned how to #HoldFast?
What is “The SPDIO framework”. My history degrees are in Slavery, Emancipation, and Reconstruction. My husband is an ER doctor. Now we take notes on military topics in our current events notebook! Always learning!
Jack is correct that this moment is unprecedented in its form. It is not, however, unprecedented in its logic.
File the date of this refusal — whenever it is confirmed — alongside the dates when other officers in other republics faced the same choice. The historical record of democratic backsliding is full of such moments. What is notable is not that a general said no. What is notable is that a general had to.
Civilian control of the military is not a courtesy. It is the foundational architecture of republican government. When that architecture holds because an officer refuses rather than because an officer obeys, something has already broken. The question is not whether Caine was right to refuse. The question is what it means that refusal was necessary.
Jack is correct that this story will be written about. Historians will want to know which three senators left that briefing white-faced, and what they chose to do afterward. They will want to know whether the 72-hour silence was institutional protection or institutional paralysis. They will want to know whether the chain of command held because of Caine, or in spite of the structure that was supposed to make Caine unnecessary.
Note which question no one in official Washington appears to be asking publicly.
Note what that silence itself tells us.
The reader can finish the sentence.
#HOLDFAST
Thank you Jack! They have tried desperately to make this vanish.
News of this leaked out last weekend...and faded into the mist.
I knew it! He has wanted to use a nuke since his first term.
Yes, Dave .. trump WILL TRY to take the Whole World down with him..
And trump KNOWS he's going down.
What DECADES of HISTORY have shown us ALL...
trump has NO LOYALTY to ANYONE ELSE EVER!
NEVER EVER TRUST A BULLY because they are SO insecure narcissistic and paranoid that sooner than later EVERYONE becomes one of their TARGETS!
His dementia adds another dangerous layer.
At one hundred percent agree. When I called leader goes down, he tries to take as many people with him as he can
Even if it was only a hurricane.
Thank god for Substack because with you Jack we have the cards stacked in our favor.
🧨Read this found a few days ago, at the time it wasn’t verified, it looks like it may be now
❌Posted #2196597 from 4/21/26
Although this has not been confirmed, 1) wouldn’t be surprised 2) Is that his rant over the codes the reason trump was removed from the war room?
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/2196597/trump-tried-access-nuclear-codes
Jack the fact that you are covering this story confirms for me the rumours that were all over Bsky etc. on Monday we were absolutely, terrifyingly true! I grew up under “the mushroom cloud,” wore ID tags, that I realised years later were actually body id tags. I lived then what was considered a “first strike” area, and that SF Bay Area may still be considered to be. The fact that this actually happened and HE is still in the Oval Office is beyond horrifying, it’s totally INSANE! Looking forward to tomorrows post! Thank you!
This will hopefully shake enough of these complicit cowards in the republican party who have been supporting him to bail on him and impeach. At the very least, the v p needs to pull the trigger on the twenty fifth amendment
One would hope, but I have lost all faith in the Republicans in our Congress who have repeatedly given this so obviously insane occupant of our Oval Office pass, after pass, after pass…Epstein should have ended his Presidency, 34 felon convictions along with being and adjudicated rapist should’ve, and would’ve, ended anyone else attempt to run for President. This guy is more slippery, more teflon that John Gatti, the “Teflon Don” ever was!
At their core, these people are all cowards and the minute they are more afraid for their lives than they are of trump.They will do something about it
FINGERS CROSSED!!!
Thanks for this info and look forward to tomorrow.
#HOLDFAST
Teri
I can’t wait, Jack. I’ve heard it, seen the story. In fact, I have a screenshot sitting in my photos right now but I didn’t have the receipts so I was reluctant to share it. I posted it one place with a disclaimer. Five people reacted.. only one shared it. I wasn’t surprised. People seem to think he can always be stopped but can he? Will he? Trump is desperate… in what I’ve heard called “narcissistic collapse” so I knew it was likely true. I’m grateful to General Caine for standing up and saying no.
The question I hope you answer tomorrow is… Can he always be stopped? It’s my understanding that the answer is not necessarily. When he’s told “NO”
again, is there a way around it? My understanding is that there is.
I’ll wait until tomorrow to ask those questions and probably a lot more.
I’ve used this word before but THIS is TERRIFYING!
Thank you, Jack
#Holdfast
~Susan
Recalling the days of the Cuban missile crisis, but we did not have a madman in the Whitehouse then.
They should have placed trump under arrest.We are way past constitutional boundarie at this point
WOOHOO Jack. I can hardly wait!
Frankly, I am surprised that Razin' had the nerve to say "no" since he's said "yes" to everything else, but glad he did. Maybe he's learned how to #HoldFast?
What is “The SPDIO framework”. My history degrees are in Slavery, Emancipation, and Reconstruction. My husband is an ER doctor. Now we take notes on military topics in our current events notebook! Always learning!
Cheers to you both!
Holy shite. Somehow the ‘leaked’ news of this that others are referencing flew under my radar screen. This is terrifying.
I look forward to the article tomorrow. Thanks Jack.
We owe him today.
Thank you Jack, he’s surrounded by yes men. Omg!
The bunker beneath the ballroom isn’t completed, but is there another bunker?
Have you seen this? Trump watches Steven Colbert, don’t know if he watched this
https://apple.news/AoIaDbG7EQzCCNJrs65JIkQ