Letter to the editor: Trump was derelict in his duties regarding Jan. 6

Dereliction of duty is a specific offense and applies to all branches of the military. A service member who is derelict has willfully refused to perform his duties (or follow a given order) or has incapacitated himself in such a way that he cannot perform his duties. Any person who is derelict in the performance of his duties shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. During times of war, the punishment can be up to and including the death penalty.

On Jan. 6, 2021, President Trump was a military commander, was he not (commander in chief)? He watched the ongoing insurrection on TV and refused to make the call, even though his staff was urging him to do so. According to testimony, it took the real hero of the day, Vice President Mike Pence, to call the Pentagon and get the National Guard activated to quell the insurrection. If Pence hadn’t made the call, how long would it have taken for Trump to do so?

Trump should have known his duties and through his neglect was therefore derelict in the performance of those duties. Any active military or veteran who votes for Trump should also be deemed derelict. Frankly, by November you probably will also be voting for a convicted criminal.

Lawrence Josephs

Penn Township, Westmoreland County