The Veterans Rally

The Undivided Truth – Washington, D.C.

On the second day of the Remove the Regime demonstrations in Washington, D.C., the tone shifted from public resistance to something far heavier, more grounded, and unmistakably solemn. Veterans—many from different eras of service, different branches, and different walks of life. They stood shoulder to shoulder and made one thing clear: they never thought they would have to do this. Yet here they were. Not because they wanted to be. Because they felt they owed it. Their presence became the defining force of the entire day.

“I thought my service ended when I left the military.”

One veteran stood before the crowd and said what many around him were feeling. His voice wavered as he spoke about his wife and child waiting for him back home. (Home is where he wanted to be.) But he said he couldn’t look them in the eye if he stayed silent while a rising authoritarianism took hold at the top of the government. He didn’t want to be on that stage. He didn’t want to protest. He didn’t want to fight another battle. But he could not, in good conscience, stay home while Donald Trump remained in office and, in his words, “destroying the country.” This sentiment echoed throughout the day—heartbreaking, yet profoundly inspiring.

United Under the Same Oath

If there was a single moment that defined Day 2, it was when a speaker read the U.S. military oath aloud from the stage. Veterans across the crowd—grey-haired Vietnam veterans, younger post-9/11 soldiers, women from the National Guard, Marines wearing old unit patches stood at attention. And then they shouted it. Not chanted. Not repeated politely. They shouted the line that has followed them through every deployment, every hardship, every sacrifice:

“…to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign AND domestic.”

Hearing that many veterans recite their oath together. Stern, unflinching, and united was a moment that carried the weight of history. Their message was unmistakable: Their oath did not expire.

A Disease Inside Democracy
Conversations throughout the day revealed a common thread of frustration and disillusionment. One veteran described a “disease running our democracy from the inside,” accusing Trump and those around him of prioritizing self-service over public service. Another contrasted the treatment of billionaires with the treatment of veterans: “Trump has done much more for billionaires than he’s ever done for us.”
Many veterans openly used the word treason when describing Trump’s actions. Their tone was not performative, it was pained. They were not speaking about politics. They were speaking about duty.

The Real Patriots

A speaker addressed January 6 directly. The message was consistent: The people who attacked the Capitol called themselves patriots. But, in the eyes of these veterans: “The real patriots are the ones standing against the tyranny running the government now.” This was met with loud approval from the crowd: anger, grief, and resolve mixing together. Throughout the day, strong language broke out repeatedly. Anti-Trump and anti-ICE chants surged through the audience, raw and unfiltered. The passion was intense, and while the rhetoric was harsh, the protest remained peaceful and grounded in democratic expression.

Retaliation and Courage: Voices From the Stage. Several speakers described facing retaliation for speaking out:

Demi Palecek – Illinois candidate, National Guard
She shared that she was under military investigation for speaking against Trump.
At the end of her speech, she tore up her disciplinary papers on stage—a symbolic act met with a roar from the crowd.

Russell Cleveland – Wyoming candidate and veteran
He spoke about retaliation as well and warned that a masked police force has begun disappearing people, including veterans. His tone was steady, his concern genuine. He compared ICE to the gestapo.

Dylan Blaha – Veteran and cancer researcher
She revealed that the government launched a “15-6 investigation” against her for her political speech. Her presence conveyed a stark reality: speaking out comes with consequences.

Sergeant Rhodes
His closing line became one of the most memorable statements of the day: “We are not taking our country back, because they don’t own it. We do.” The crowd erupted.

A Final Demonstration of Discipline

As the rally concluded, the veterans assembled into formation. This was not planned. They had received last-minute permission to march to the Capitol. With flags raised high. U.S. flags, service branch flags, POW/MIA banners—the veterans moved as one. No chaos. No confusion. Just disciplined, coordinated steps.

A powerful sight: Men and women who believed their service was behind them, marching once again. Not for war, not for orders, but for the preservation of democracy itself. It was the day veterans became the warning. Their unity, their anger, their heartbreak, and their resolve sent a clear message: The oath they swore still lives in them. And they intend to keep it.