Astonishing: Give Trump a million dollars & you get to become an Army officer, complete with a uniform

[erronis]

"Astonishing: Give Trump a million dollars & you get to become an Army officer, complete with a uniform & everybody must salute you! "
https://hartmannreport.com/p/saturday-report-62125-astonishing
Thom Hartmann

The Best of the Rest of the News

Several observations by Thom -

— Will we regret Trump being able to use a nuclear weapon?
America confronts two very weird aspects to Trump’s involvement in Netanyahu’s “stay out of jail” attack on Iran.

The first is that Russia — oligarchs friendly with Putin, specifically — built the Bushehr nuclear power reactor in Iran and currently has a contract to build eight more, bringing billions in revenue to Russia, Putin, and his buddy. Those billions could well go up in smoke with regime change in Iran, so it’s entirely possible that Trump’s sudden “two week pause” on deciding to bomb Iran is simply a favor to his owner and handler, Vlad. After all, they’ve had two phone conversations in just the past few days, according to Trump, following Putin sending him a beautiful large portrait of Trump holding up his fist after being shot at and having his ear splattered with the blood of the man standing beside him who got hit with the bullet.

The second weird take is that an “anonymous” White House official is being quoted over on Fox “News” saying that Trump has not taken dropping a nuke on Iran off the table. Eli Clifton, one of the senior advisers over at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, tweeted, “The US is considering using a nuclear weapon for the first time since Hiroshima and Nagasaki because our client state murdered our Iranian negotiating partner and started a war?” Is this all a distraction from the Big Brutal Bill like Congressman Mark Pocan asserted on my show this Wednesday? Or a distraction from ICE abuses? Or just more of the bizarre reality show that Trump’s running because that’s the only thing he’s ever successfully done in his life? Stay tuned…

. . .

— Look out! Retirees being forced into privatized, for-profit, rip-off Medicare “Advantage” plans.
New York’s top court just ruled that the sordid deal NYC’s corrupt Mayor Adams worked out with a Medicare “Advantage” provider to force that city’s ~250,000 retirees off real Medicare and into the insanely profitable “Advantage” scam plans was completely legal. The so-called “Advantage” plans are generating hundreds of billions in profits for insurance companies — for many, it’s their primary profit center now — and some of that money is being recycled into “lobbying” for schemes like this one, leaving workers screwed, particularly when they get seriously ill and the “Advantage” providers begin denying payments for care. Republicans won’t do a thing about these scams because they’re also on the take from the insurance industry (and George W. Bush invented them), but if Democrats ever get back in control of the federal government they must make real Medicare reform and an end to the “Advantage” scam a top priority.

— Astonishing: Give Trump a million dollars and you get to become an Army officer, complete with uniform and everybody must salute you!
You, too, can play warrior if you’re a large enough Trump donor! Hegseth’s Army just rolled out a new program called “Detachment 201: The Army’s Executive Innovation Corps” that says its goal is to “fuse cutting-edge tech expertise with military innovation.” That bullshit-speak for “we’re going to give tech billionaire Trump donors an officer’s commission and a uniform.” So far four tech moguls have jumped at the opportunity to strut around in uniform with Lieutenant Colonel’s silver oak leaves on their shoulders, forcing enlisted and inferior officers to snap to attention and salute them, and every one of their companies have shoveled at least a million into one of Trump’s slush funds. This is Kristi Noem-level corruption and cosplaying, funded with your tax dollars.

. . .

[Hugin]

1. Cosplay Kernels...

Yep, sign # 1232455940345 that the US has become a full-on banana manufacturing republic.

[Abnredleg]

2. This initiative was launched by the Biden Administration

https://nationalcioreview.com/articles-insights/leadership/from-cio-to-commander-u-s-military-to-tap-private-sector-tech-leaders/

[Hugin]

4. I was aware of that initiative...

However, the million dollar pay-to-play is purely a Trumpian innovation. I'm sure the Biden Administration expected these "recruits" to actually play by the reservist's rules.

[Abnredleg]

5. There is no evidence of pay to play

All corporations donate to political parties, and if Harris had won the people selected for the program would have been faced the same accusations. It’s a program that makes sense, and just because Trump is President doesn’t mean every initiative his administration proposes is corrupt or worthless.

[Hugin]

6. I strongly disagree. n/t

[Abnredleg]

9. Then present evidence /NT

[Hugin]

14. Present evidence to the contrary.

If it wasn’t pay-to-play they wouldn’t be brought in as flag officers. A captain would be just fine and it would better match their likely contributions after their day jobs.

The US already had the most lethal fighting force in the world by far at the end of the Biden administration. The right wing has been spinning otherwise about a gap for decades and to promote one existing is a right wing talking point.

[sl8]

21. They were commissioned as Lt. Colonels, not flag officers. nt

[Hugin]

25. Field grade officers.

Who traditionally have quite a bit of leadership and command experience under their belts at that point. Military ranks are an indicator of tested competent capabilities and not a status symbol.

[Abnredleg]

23. As we all know, you can't prove a negative

so I am afraid you have the burden of proof since you made the allegation. As to rank, they are field grade officers, which means they are very low on the totem pole given they will be mainly interacting with the Pentagon. They'll be working with flag officers and high ranking civil servants, not marching privates around the drill field, and will always be the lowest ranking person in the room. Their power comes from their expertise, not the rank on their shoulders. I don't you appreciate the high level they'll be working at.

As for need, while the US military is the most lethal force in the world, the procurement system is in shambles and there are new technologies, particularly AI, that have the potential to be very disruptive. They're bringing in outsiders because they acknowledge that the DOD is too hidebound to effectively address these new threats.

[Hugin]

33. That's only true for a philosophical debate, which this is not.

Which I’m sure everyone is also aware of.

I am saying that Trump is veering into a dictatorial patronage military command which he’s said multiple times he intends to do as stated in Project 2025. Also, by the way, patronage is a characteristic of corrupt militaristic fascist governance.

I’m saying provide evidence that what is being done is something other than old school patronage and grift.

[Abnredleg]

35. I obviously can't because the initiative is so new

so time will tell.

[niyad]

13. A million dollars is not "pay to play"??? Kindly present evidence that

President Biden's initiative required a million dollar "donation".

And kindly name a single t#### initiative that has actual merit, that does not include some nasty backdoor screwjob.

[Abnredleg]

24. That's not what the article said

it merely pointed out the four executives in question work for companies that donated to the GOP. The thing is, all companies donate to political parties so it's a bit of stretch to make the argument that there is a quid pro que in this situation. Our political system runs on money and we would have had the same issue if Harris had won.

[sl8]

34. And two of the companies gave overwhelmingly to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle.

Last edited Sun Jun 22, 2025, 06:15 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm not sure what slush funds Hartmann is referring to, but, according to OpenSecrets.org, two of these companies donated overwhelmingly Democratic in the 2024 cycle. One gave over $1 million to Harris and nothing to Trump. Palantir gave to both, but overwhelmingly Republican.

OpenAI
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/openai/summary?id=D000084252

Meta
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/meta/summary?id=D000033563

Palantir
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/palantir-technologies/summary?id=D000055177

[niyad]

12. And the Biden initiative had them as reservists, not active duty.

[sl8]

16. These four received Army Reserve commissions and will work part-time in the Army Reserve.

Did you see something to the contrary?

From the link in Hartmann's article:

https://www.army.mil/article/286317/army_launches_detachment_201_executive_innovation_corps_to_drive_tech_transformation

Det. 201 is an effort to recruit senior tech executives to serve part-time in the Army Reserve as senior advisors. In this role they will work on targeted projects to help guide rapid and scalable tech solutions to complex problems. By bringing private-sector know-how into uniform, Det. 201 is supercharging efforts like the Army Transformation Initiative, which aims to make the force leaner, smarter, and more lethal.

The four new Army Reserve Lt. Cols. are Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer for Palantir; Andrew Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer of Meta; Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer of OpenAI; and Bob McGrew, advisor at Thinking Machines Lab and former Chief Research Officer for OpenAI.

[Hugin]

18. Who are these good idea fairies going to work with now that the DOT&E and...

Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) have been shuttered?

[sl8]

19. I've no idea, why are you asking me?

I saw the part about the Reserve in the linked articles, I didn't see anything about specifically who they'd be working with.

[dalton99a]

3. Just like a third-world shithole

[Fil1957]

7. This actually has historical precedent. In the late 18th century, many officers in

the British army bought their commissions. I'm not saying this a good thing, I'm just saying it's not an original idea.

[Brother Buzz]

15. Was a time, if you had the right skill set and smarts, the president would offer you a commission and pay YOU...

A whopping $1 a year

To wit:

Lieutenant Genera William S. Knudsen

William Signius Knudsen (born Signius Wilhelm Poul Knudsen; March 25, 1879 – April 27, 1948) was a Danish-born American automotive industry executive and an American general during World War II.

His experience and success as a key senior manager in the operations sides of Ford Motor Company and then General Motors led the Franklin Roosevelt administration to commission him directly as a lieutenant general in the United States Army to help lead the United States' war materiel production efforts for World War II.

...............

Knudsen flew under my radar until I stumbled upon a book that totally engaged me

Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II – July 2, 2013
by Arthur Herman

Freedom’s Forge reveals how two extraordinary American businessmen—General Motors automobile magnate William “Big Bill” Knudsen and shipbuilder Henry J. Kaiser—helped corral, cajole, and inspire business leaders across the country to mobilize the “arsenal of democracy” that propelled the Allies to victory in World War II. Drafting top talent from companies like Chrysler, Republic Steel, Boeing, Lockheed, GE, and Frigidaire, Knudsen and Kaiser turned auto plants into aircraft factories and civilian assembly lines into fountains of munitions. In four short years they transformed America’s army from a hollow shell into a truly global force, laying the foundations for the country’s rise as an economic as well as military superpower. Freedom’s Forge vividly re-creates American industry’s finest hour, when the nation’s business elites put aside their pursuit of profits and set about saving the world.

[Crowman2009]

20. I think the Crimean War showed that this was a really bad idea.

[Kid Berwyn]

8. Silicon Valley Colonels

Give a billion and Trumpfler will mint a new general.

He’d do admirals, too, but King Taco’s afraid of water.

[Abnredleg]

10. The military has a long history of commissioning officers with special talents

and they're called Direct Commission Officers. They don't go through the regular commissioning process but rather go through an abbreviated orientation training. This new program is just an extension of this notion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_commission_officer

[BobTheSubgenius]

11. I want to be an astronaut!

Prolly can;t afford it, though,

[kimbutgar]

17. Why is this not wrong, unethical and an insult to the men and women who went to basic training and have served

Faithfully for this country for some rich guy to come in and give the orange taco Hitler money to make decisions on our military and national security without any basic training?😡😡😡😾🐯

[Abnredleg]

28. Direct Commission Officers have been around for decades

No military training, just an orientation to the military so they wear their uniforms properly and know how to salute. It’s a time-tested method of bringing in specialized expertise.

[IbogaProject]

22. That is the way the Military was in the olden days before our constitution.

That is a disgrace and shouldn't be allowed. And at the very least anyone who hasn't gone through basic training and had an honorable discharge at the very least shouldn't be able to get a commission.

[Irish_Dem]

29. The British aristocracy purchased officer commissions for the younger sons in the family.

[mercuryblues]

26. So this is the definition of MERIT BASED approach

Meanwhile...

Hegseth fired the all the female 4 star generals and Admirals, He is now working on African Americans.

[TnDem]

27. e: military officers

I'm sure everyone knows that there are multiple uniform military services, correct? In many of the services, there is no prerequisite for rank....Rachel Levine was hired directly in as a Four Star Admiral and she never served in the military. Everyone had to salute her, including US Generals that had served in multiple wars and had 30 years tenure.

Promotions above 06, (Colonel-Army, Captain-Navy), are almost entirely political...I would be curious to see what rank Trump actually brings them in at.

[Irish_Dem]

30. They are coming in as Lt. Col's.

[TnDem]

31. That's 05

Just barely below the "all politics" officer rank....Still political though.

Direct Commission was MD/DO's, DDS/DMD's, NP/PA's and they used to come directly in as 06...I am not sure now.

[Irish_Dem]

32. MDs came in as Capt or Major in the USAF when I was a kid.

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