Air Force officer who called for impeachment gets hit with criminal charges

A U.S. airman who was arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol while calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, faces criminal charges for comments he's made at protests and in interviews. 

The charges Maj. Jason Watson faces fall under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, according to CNN, which include alleged "contemptuous" remarks about Trump, five violations of allegedly disobeying orders and two violations for alleged conduct unbecoming an officer.

The rare charges are connected to Watson's June interview with the Defenders of our Republic Substack newsletter, his July 1 protest in uniform at the U.S. Capitol, and an August 17 CNN interview.

It can be considered a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to participate in uniform in any overtly partisan activity, such as a political protest. It can also be a violation to use "contemptuous words" against the president or other high-ranking officials. 

In most cases, these rules are resolved informally, but Watson's actions were more high-profile. 

In the CNN interview, Watson said that Trump is a "failure as president," and he's "flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption, and is killing Americans."