Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson (U.S. Army, retired) slammed President Donald Trump's attacks on the military during a Monday interview on MSNBC.
Wilkerson was the co-author of a powerful New York Times column criticizing Trump for treating service members like "toy soldiers" by sending them to the southern border.
"We think that's dangerous, and I think the criticism of Admiral McRaven and other things like that are of a similar nature, because this president does everything -- or most things that I can ascertain with reason -- for his political, domestic base," he noted. "That's the reason he sent the troops to the border, to try to influence the midterms. "
Wilkinson served as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell during the George W. Bush administration.
He also slammed Trump's disdain for the press and First Amendment.
"President Trump has been an absolute enemy of that concept of our democracy," he noted.
"So for Trump to do this, again, it's a political stunt," he argued. "The sad thing for Trump, as he does more and more of these political stumps, he's carving away his domestic base."
"He is, in fact, committing suicide," Wilkinson concluded.
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