Both the Marine Corps and White House are strongly defending the performance of “ The President’s Own” at an event in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
President Donald Trump, who is recovering from COVID-19, welcomed hundreds to the South Lawn of the White House for the event, which was called a “Peaceful Protest for Law and Order.”
During the gathering, the Marine band performed “America” from “West Side Story.” The Hatch Act prohibits government resources from being used for a candidate’s reelection. It also bans federal employees from being forced to assist a candidates' reelection efforts.
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In a statement to Connecting Vets, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Joseph Butterfield said the band provided musical support for an “official event.”
“All tasking for U.S. Marine Band support at the White House, including for this event, is generated by the White House Military Office,” he explained.
“The event Saturday was an official White House event and was conducted in compliance with the Hatch Act,” added White House spokesman Judson P. Deere in a statement to Connecting Vets.
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Alice Hunt Friend, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Washington Post that mixing the military and partisan political activity is a “big violation” of civil-military norms.
“Americans who see uniformed military personnel at partisan political functions may assume the military has a partisan identity,” Friend said. “Presidents running for reelection always have to take extra care to keep their military aides out of their campaign activities.”
The Marine band has played at every presidential inauguration since 1801 when President Thomas Jefferson named it “The President’s Own.”
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com
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