Veterans to March on Washington to ‘Defend the Constitution’: What to Know

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Veterans are planning to march on Washington DC in order to defend the Constitution and the oath they swore to it.
The protest, set to take place on March 14, has been publicized across social media through various posters and by the website NowMarch.
Veterans joining the march intend to peacefully protest the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to Social Security, federal job losses for veterans, the pardon of January 6 rioters, and reductions in veterans’ healthcare services.
One of the promotional posters for the protest quotes General Mark Milley, who said: “We don’t take an oath to a king.” Last month, the White House posted an edited photo of President Donald Trump wearing a crown with the caption, “Long Live the King.”
When individuals join the armed forces or take an oath of office as a politician, they swear to protect the U.S. Constitution from “all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The participants of this march see it as their responsibility to speak out against what they perceive as unconstitutional actions by the Trump administration.
Newsweek has contacted NowMarch via email for further comment.
Retired U.S. Marine Stephen Watson at his front door of his home, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Jesup, Ga. Retired U.S. Marine Stephen Watson at his front door of his home, Monday, March 3, 2025, in Jesup, Ga. Stephen B. Morton/The Associated Press
Why It Matters
Many veterans have been laid off from government positions due to cuts implemented work by Elon Musk’s Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), as veterans make up nearly 30 percent of the federal workforce.
These layoffs have also affected veterans’ healthcare, which is tied to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A leaked memo from the Trump administration revealed plans to cut as many as 83,000 jobs from the department this year.
VA therapists are struggling to treat patients while fearing for their own job security, VA patients are reportedly not receiving clinical trial treatments for cancer, and the VA has canceled suicide prevention training due to recent budget reductions.
What To Know
The march is deliberately scheduled for March 14, as Section 3 of the 14th Amendment addresses insurrectionists.
The 14th Amendment states: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.”
Protesters walk outside the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Protesters walk outside the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. AP
The march organizers have stated: “The United States is under siege from within—hijacked by an illegitimate president and administration and protected by a system unwilling to uphold our constitutional safeguards.”
NowMarch is a branch of the original movement Now14, which has asserted that, despite the ruling in Trump v. Anderson—which determined Trump must appear on the Colorado ballot despite his role in the January 6 insurrection—”Donald Trump remains constitutionally disqualified from holding office.”
According to NowMarch, Trump continues to undermine democracy through executive orders deemed unconstitutional by several courts, such as his attempts to eliminate birthright citizenship and block funding appropriated by Congress for various agencies, including those that employ veterans.
Anger over the Trump administration’s treatment of veterans and the effects of DOGE layoffs has also been expressed by politicians.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both her legs while serving in Iraq, has introduced the Protect Veterans Jobs Act alongside Senators Andy Kim, Mark Kelly, and Ruben Gallego.
The act seeks “to make veteran federal employees who were involuntarily dismissed without cause eligible for reinstatement, to require reports from executive agencies on the number of veteran employees fired from such agencies, and for other purposes.”
Senator Duckworth posted on X: “The message of our bill is simple: Give our heroes their jobs back.”
California Representative Derek Tran has introduced a similar bill in the House.
Protesters walk outside the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Protesters walk outside the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Paul Sancya/AP Photo
What People Are Saying
NowMarch: “If you are a veteran, this movement is for you. If you stand with Ukraine and the Free World, this movement is for you. If you are a federal worker, this movement is for you. If you don’t want to lose Social Security, this movement is for you. If you were deprived of your vote in 2024, this movement is for you. If you’ve changed your mind since the election, this movement is for you. If you don’t want to lose your rights, your safety, your freedom, and your country, this movement is for you.”
Senator Mark Kelly said on MSNBC: “I swore an oath to our Constitution. I have lived that oath my entire life…The only oath I can think of that maybe Elon has sworn is an oath to his own checking account.”
Alina Habba, Counselor to Donald Trump told the press last week: “Well, as you know we care about veterans tremendously….We are going to care for them in the right way, but perhaps they’re not fit to have a job at this moment, or not willing to come to work. And we can’t, you know, I wouldn’t take money from you and pay somebody and say, ‘Sorry, you know, they’re not going to come to work.’ It’s just not acceptable.”
What Happens Next
The march will take place this weekend, with additional demonstrations expected in state capitals across the country.