Barracks Rumor Mill cover: full-frame photo of an empty Air Force trial courtroom, with the headline "Air Force Major Still in Solitary for Calling to Impeach Trump" over a dark band and a small SOLITARY stamp.

Air Force Major Still in Solitary for Calling to Impeach Trump

October 14, 2026

An Air Force major has been held in solitary confinement 24 hours a day since mid-August after calling for President Trump’s impeachment while in uniform. His attorney said as of Oct. 9 he is still alone around the clock.

Maj. Jason Watson is charged under Article 88 for contemptuous words toward officials, plus Article 92 and Article 133 counts. He has not been convicted. He is presumed innocent.

How he got here

On July 1, Watson stood on the Capitol steps in his service uniform with a sign reading “Impeach. Convict. Remove.” Capitol Police arrested him.
On Aug. 17 he repeated the criticism in a television interview. The next day the Air Force ordered him into pretrial confinement at a county facility in Maryland on a military hold.
The three Article 88 specifications are tied to a June online interview, the July 1 protest, and the Aug. 17 television appearance. He also faces five Article 92 specs and two under Article 133. The Air Force confirmed the charges.

The Article 32

On Sept. 18 he had an Article 32 preliminary hearing at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling before Maj. Joshua Wendell. Watson is 40, an Air Force Academy graduate with 17 years as a logistics officer, most recently assigned to Bydgoszcz, Poland.

He told the hearing he has “no expectations to continue to serve.” His attorney said a resignation request was denied within 24 hours.

The hearing officer later recommended that most charges go forward to a general court-martial and that several be dismissed. As of Oct. 12, the Air Force had not publicly confirmed that the convening authority referred the case. There is no trial date. The defense wants a special court-martial and has compared the case to Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller.

Solitary

Article 13 of the UCMJ bars punitive pretrial confinement and says confinement may not be more rigorous than the circumstances require. Watson’s attorney, Christopher Mutimer, said on Oct. 9 that Watson is “still in solitary confinement 24 hours a day.”

At the Article 32, the hearing officer said Watson is in solitary because he cannot be confined with civilians, which limits facilities on base.

Why an E-4 should care

Article 88 only applies to officers. The uniform rule covers everyone: DoD Directive 1344.10 bars troops from political rallies or protests in uniform, whichever side you’re on.
Pretrial confinement isn’t a conviction. If the conditions cross into punishment, a judge can award sentence credit later.
Asking to get out doesn’t mean you get out. Watson’s resignation was denied within a day. You’re under the UCMJ until the paperwork says you aren’t.

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Cover photo: The trial courtroom at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, May 6, 2024. The courtroom is unconnected to this case. U.S. Air Force photo, 52nd Fighter Wing, via DVIDS (ID 8410869), https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8410869/courtroom-spangdahlem-air-base. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.