GEOFF BENNETT: Adding to concerns over President Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles this week were his remarks at Fort Bragg last night.

AMNA NAWAZ: The president spoke to a crowd that was reportedly handpicked for a political point of view.

He delivered highly partisan remarks and sold MAGA merchandise on the U.S. base.

For perspective on this, we turn now to Graham Parsons.

He was a tenured philosophy professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, until he quit last month in protest after the Trump administration limited which books and classes could be taught.

Graham Parsons, welcome to the "News Hour."

Before we get to the Fort Bragg event, I just want to get your take on this moment in Los Angeles, where we now have hundreds of Marines, thousands of National Guard troops, deployed against the governor's wishes, to respond to civilian protests.

What are you making as you watch this moment unfold?

GRAHAM PARSONS, Former West Point Professor: Well, I'm very concerned.

This is -- I mean, there's two concerns really.

First, it's a law enforcement issue.

Law enforcement is very different from war.

And law enforcement is consistent with the constitutional order and the civil rights that all Americans are supposed to have.

War doesn't regard constitutional rights.

There's combatants and noncombatants.

And combatants, you can basically do whatever you want to.

There's no civil protections for combatants.

So my concern is that the Trump administration has militarized what is effectively a law enforcement issue.

This is a really grave threat to the constitutional order.

Soldiers, for one, aren't trained to engage in law enforcement.

They don't know how to engage with people and respect their constitutional rights.

And then, secondly, it's -- the Trump administration is teeing up a resort to potentially the Insurrection Act, which would effectively be the declaration of martial law, which is literally the negation of the constitutional order.

So there's a really profound constitutional problem here.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, let me ask you... GRAHAM PARSONS: Then the second issue.... AMNA NAWAZ: Oh, please go ahead.

GRAHAM PARSONS: Yes, sorry.

The second issue is, it's not just any law enforcement issue.

It's a -- it's a conflict over the policies of this particular administration, OK, so it's a political conflict between opponents of the administration and the administration.

And the administration has really leaned into this.

They're calling the protesters really inflammatory things, animals, insurrectionists, aliens, criminals, really treating them as not Americans.

AMNA NAWAZ: Well, Graham, if I may, I do want to get to the Fort Bragg incident because I know we spoke a bit about this earlier.

And for those who missed some of the president's remarks yesterday, I just want to play a few moments of what he had to say.

Here that is.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: The fake news, ladies and gentlemen, look at them -- look at them all.

Ay yi yi, what I have to put up with.

Fake news.

(BOOING) DONALD TRUMP: This is a record crowd.

You never -- you never had a crowd this big.

That's an honor.

You think this crowd would have showed up for Biden?

I don't think so.

I don't think so.

I don't think so.

(LAUGHTER) DONALD TRUMP: Maybe I'm wrong.

In Los Angeles, the governor of California, the mayor of Los Angeles... (BOOING) DONALD TRUMP: ... they're incompetent.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Graham, we saw some reporting from Military.com today that said the soldiers were handpicked based on their political leanings, their physical appearance.

There was one internal communication they reviewed that read no fat soldiers.

As we reported earlier, they were selling MAGA merchandise on the U.S. base.

What does all of this say to you about the longstanding line between the military and partisan politics?

GRAHAM PARSONS: Oh, it's in grave danger.

I really can't overstate how disgusting that event was.

But it also should be noted, it's not in isolation.

It's been building toward this really extreme version of it.

But Trump has been interacting with the military for the last few months as a partisan.

He's tried to make the military appear a part of his brand.

And now he's basically having political rallies at military installations.

And I would expect this to be the new normal.

So I would watch out for the - - his remarks on Saturday at the parade in D.C.

This is -- the politicization of the military is extremely dangerous.

And it goes back to my concern about the conflict in California being a political conflict between the administration and its opponents.

By politicizing the military, you're giving the -- you're sending a message to the troops and to the American public that the military is an ally of this narrow political faction that Trump embodies.

This is extremely dangerous.

And we should all be very, very upset.

AMNA NAWAZ: So I have less than a minute here, but you mentioned that parade coming up this weekend.

That's obviously to mark the Army's 250th anniversary.

It also happens to be President Trump's 79th birthday.

We have had military parades in the U.S. before, but, briefly, if you can, what's different about this?

GRAHAM PARSONS: What's different about this is, the planners have explicitly said this is about President Trump.

So, the script -- the promotional materials that have come out have lauded the president and his America first policies for saving the military, in effect.

So this is not just a celebration of the Army.

It's a celebration of the president.

So, again, it's another example of using the military to support and build the brand of the president and his politics.

AMNA NAWAZ: Graham Parsons, formerly of West Point, we thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Appreciate your time.

GRAHAM PARSONS: Thank you.