In January 2021, all ten living former defense secretaries, including Panetta, raised alarm in an open letter against a military coup to overturn the election results, warning officials who would participate and specifically naming the temporary acting secretary of defense Christopher C. Miller as the problem and that he and other acting political appointees at the Department of Defense would face grave consequences if they violated the constitution. They continued that any current member of the Trump Administration should “refrain from any political actions that undermine the results of the election or hinder the success of the new team.”