Air Force ordered Maj. Jason Watson into pretrial confinement after he criticized Trump on CNN, second detention since Capitol impeachment protest

On August 18, 2026, the U.S. Air Force ordered Maj. Jason Watson into pretrial confinement, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed, days after Watson renewed his public call for President Trump's impeachment in a CNN interview. The spokesperson said the confinement followed "probable cause to support allegations of continued misconduct" and that Watson had informed his chain of command he would no longer wear his uniform; he was arrested while on duty roughly 20 minutes after being told to put it back on, according to his attorney, Chris Mutimer. Watson has not been formally charged; Mutimer said he expects charges under Article 88 (contempt toward officials) or Article 92 (failure to obey an order). Watson is being held at a county detention facility in Maryland on a military hold.

This is the second time in seven weeks the Air Force has moved against Watson over his public criticism of the administration. He was first arrested by U.S. Capitol Police on July 1, 2026, after appearing in uniform on the Capitol steps and calling for the impeachment and removal of Trump and Vice President JD Vance, at an event organized by the Removal Coalition and attended by Rep. Al Green. That arrest produced local charges of crowding, obstructing and incommoding; no military charges tied to the July incident had been filed as of this report. Air Force policy requires service members to comply with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which restricts political activity while in uniform and criminalizes "contemptuous words" toward the president under Article 88.

An Air Force spokesperson said Watson's "personal statements do not reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Air Force," adding that military members are required to comply with the Uniform Code of Military Justice and all applicable regulations.