Cheney came up with the idea of ​​the defense secretary’s letter, said fellow ex-chief

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Former Vice President Dick Cheney came up with the idea for nearly a dozen former Pentagon chiefs to write an opinion piece urging current Department of Defense officials to leave President TrumpDonald Trump Cotton Breaks With Conservative Peers Who Will Oppose Elections Counting Trump To Give Nunes Medal of Freedom: Reports Hogan Says Lawmakers’ ‘Plan’ to Undo Election Results’ Makes a Mocking of Our System ‘MORE‘s attempt to reverse the results of the presidential election, a signatory said.

“The idea for this statement actually comes from Vice President Cheney,” said William J. Perry, who served as President Clinton’s former Secretary of Defense.

“Each of us has sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution; that oath does not change according to the designation of the party,” he added.

In the op-ed on Sunday, 10 former defense secretaries warned that Trump’s efforts to contest the elections would put the country “on dangerous, illegal and unconstitutional territory.”

“Civilian and military officials directing or implementing such measures would be responsible, including possible criminal sanctions, for the dire consequences of their actions on our republic,” the former officials wrote. “We call on them in the strongest of terms: to do as so many generations of Americans have done before them. This last action is in keeping with the highest traditions and professionalism of the US armed forces, and the history of the democratic transition in our great country. . “

Two former secretaries to President Trump, Mark EsperMark Esper10 Former Defense Secretaries Call on Pentagon to Stay Out of 2020 Election Battle: A Year in Photos Army Plans to Reveal More Inclusive Hair and Grooming Rules Next Month: Report MORE and James MattisJames Norman Mattis10 Former Defense Secretaries Call on Pentagon to Stay Out of Election Biden to Appoint First Female Deputy Secretary of Defense Senate ready to lift Trump’s veto MORE, signed the opinion.

Trump has refused to admit defeat to the president-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCotton breaks with conservative colleagues who will oppose election counting Trump to give Nunes Medal of Freedom: Hogan reports lawmakers ‘plan’ to reverse election results ‘makes a mockery of our system’ MORE, and a number of GOP lawmakers in both houses of Congress this week will be contesting the Electoral College’s results.

Courts have found no evidence of widespread election fraud and have spoken out against several challenges posed by the Trump campaign.

Trump has been criticized in the past for politicizing the Department of Defense, most notably when officials accompanied him for a photo at a church near the White House after Lafayette Square was forcibly acquitted of protesters by police.

Biden’s transition team also complained of a lack of cooperation from the Pentagon, from which Esper was removed shortly after the election.

Last week, a Biden adviser told the NPR that the Pentagon had not met with transition officials since December 18.

“It more or less comes back to the lack of visibility we currently have in some critical issues related to military operations due to the DoD’s obstruction and roadblocks,” incoming national security adviser Jake SullivanJake Sullivan Five top defense challenges for Biden The West can use economics to teach China a lesson on human rights Saudi Arabia braces for Joe Biden MORE said.

Cheney, a Republican, has been critical of Trump during his time in the White House, mainly on foreign policy issues.

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