US Air Force Pursues Military Charges Against Major Jason Watson Following Calls for Trump Impeachment

An anti-war protester stands up as US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Dan Caine testify on the Defense Department's budget before the Senate Committee on Appropriations in Washington, DC, the United States, July 21, 2026.

The United States Air Force announced it is pursuing military justice charges against Major Jason Watson after he publicly demanded the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance regarding the US-Israel war on Iran.

“Major Watson acted knowing the risks to his career and his liberty,” Watson’s lawyer Christopher Mutimer stated on Tuesday. “It is my hope that other Americans who feel powerless in this moment will take some measure of courage from his willingness to speak and to stand by his convictions.”

Major Watson, an active-duty officer, was taken into custody by police while wearing his uniform in July on the steps of the US Capitol, where he participated in a demonstration holding a sign that demanded the removal of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance from office.

The demonstration, which included attendance from US lawmakers, was organized by activists representing the Removal Coalition. The group noted at the time that Major Watson was the initial active-duty officer in the military to demand the impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump.

Major Watson appeared earlier this month on CNN to reiterate his demands for the removal of President Donald Trump, who functions as the commander in chief of the military.

“What is happening with President Donald Trump is not normal. He has failed us,” Major Watson stated. “And not only is he a failure as president; he is flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption and is killing Americans. And that is unacceptable to me, and it should be unacceptable to all of us.”

On Tuesday, the legal counsel for Major Watson announced that the airman faces violations under three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, featuring Article 88, a infrequently utilized provision alleging the use of contemptuous language directed at the president, vice president, and Congress.

The United States Air Force verified that Major Watson faces official charges and will remain in pre-trial confinement while receiving standard due process protections.