The White House is defending the use of two Marines who were in the background of President Joe Biden’s latest speech in Philadelphia.
Biden, who accused former President Donald Trump and his supporters of being a threat to democracy on Thursday, was flanked by two Marines during the address, both of whom could be seen during the speech.
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White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre denied during Friday’s briefing that there should be any concern about the possible politicization of the military despite some initial pushback.
“The way we see it here, and I would argue the way people across the country see it, standing up for democracy is not political,” she said. “Denouncing political violence is not political. Defending rights and freedoms is not political. Making clear the changes that are facing the nation are not political. We don’t call any of that political.”
She also said their presence was “intended to demonstrate the deep and abiding respect the president has for these service members to these ideals and the unique role our independent military plays in defending our democracy no matter which party is in power.”
Members of the military are not permitted to appear in uniform at political or partisan events, and the White House maintains that the president’s speech wasn’t political.
“MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution,” he said during his prime-time address. “They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refuse to accept the results of a free election.”
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny claimed that the Marines, combined with a nearby Marine band that played as the president took the stage, were “a break with White House traditions,” while Allison Jaslow, a former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told the network, “We need to make sure that our military is as removed from politics as possible — and it’s not right if a Democrat uses the military as a political pawn, and it’s not right if the Republican Party does it as well.”
Jaslow disagreed with the White House’s explanation that it wasn’t a political speech, though she approved of his message. She said, “It’s very clear that a political message was being elevated through this event,” adding, “I agree with the president’s message, and I’m glad that he is speaking up in this way. That doesn’t make it right that they picked, you know, window dressing for their event and included Marines in it.”
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There have been several instances in recent years of service members being seen in questionable videos or events, including in the lead-up to the 2020 election when Democrats were criticized for featuring two Army Reserve soldiers in uniform during the Democratic National Committee convention, while the Republican National Committee aired a video during their convention that included two uniformed Marines.
A Marines spokesperson directed the Washington Examiner to the White House.
