US airman detained again after calling for Trump's impeachment, his attorney speaks out
(CNN) — Jason Watson, the US service member who was arrested on the steps of the US Capitol last month after calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, has been detained once again — just days after he criticized the president in an exclusive CNN interview.
The US Air Force major was “ordered into pretrial confinement” Tuesday, a US Air Force spokesperson told CNN. As of Wednesday evening, he has not been formally charged, but the spokesperson said the case is still under investigation. Watson is currently being detained at a county facility in Maryland and is on a military hold, according to the public information officer for that detention center.
It is unclear what charges Watson might be facing.
Watson’s attorney Chris Mutimer said the airman was arrested while on duty the day after his interview on CNN earlier in the week. Mutimer said Watson was refusing to wear his uniform.
“While he was at work he, through counsel, informed his chain of command that he would no longer be wearing his uniform,” Mutimer said. “Shortly after that, he was told he needed to put his uniform on. Within about 20 minutes, and my understanding is around 330, he was then arrested and he was brought to a county jail.”
Mutimer said on CNN Wednesday evening they are “expecting charges related to Article 88, which is contempt towards an officer or Article 92, which is failure to obey, which would be related potentially to him not putting his uniform back on.”
“He expected this,” the attorney said. “He expected to be arrested.”
The Air Force spokesperson said in a statement, “Military members are required to comply with the Uniform Code of Military Justice and all applicable regulations.” The spokesperson added, “Based on probable cause to support allegations of continued misconduct, Maj. Watson was ordered into pretrial confinement on Aug. 18, 2026. Maj. Watson is presumed innocent and will be afforded all rights under Rule for Courts-Martial 305 as his pretrial confinement is reviewed.”
CNN has asked the Air Force for further details.
On Monday, Watson spoke with CNN’s Erin Burnett and criticized Trump, whose impeachment and removal he continues to call for.
“What is happening with President Trump is not normal. He has failed us,” Watson said. “And not only is he a failure as president, he is flagrantly violating the Constitution, breaking the law, engaged in rampant corruption and is killing Americans. And that is unacceptable to me and it should be unacceptable to all of us.”
Public dissent within active-duty military ranks is rare as service members are required to follow orders in accordance with the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which criminalizes contemptuous words against the president, vice president, Congress and other top officials under Article 88.
“Maj. Watson’s personal statements do not reflect the views or policies of the Department of the Air Force,” the agency spokesperson said in the statement Wednesday.
Watson was previously arrested on July 1 on the US Capitol steps after he gave a speech calling for the impeachment and removal of Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
US Capitol Police told CNN at the time that members of the public are not allowed to demonstrate on the steps of the House unless they are accompanied by a member of Congress. Watson was “escorted” to the steps by a member, who then “left the area,” according to police.
Watson was wearing his uniform during the demonstration. Military regulation bans wearing a uniform while participating in political activities, though to date Watson had not been charged with an infraction tied to the demonstration.
Watson told CNN earlier this week that he is willing to pay the price of speaking out against the administration.
“We just have to be willing to accept that we can change what is happening in our country if we’re just willing to pay a price for it,” Watson said. “So all that I could do was ask myself what’s the highest price that I’m willing to pay. And this is what I ultimately came up with.”
This story has been updated with additional details.
Davis Winkie and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this story.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.