Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin posted several tweets Wednesday night reporting that an unnamed U.S. special forces soldier in Syria opposed President Donald Trump’s decision this week to withdraw.

It is against military law for soldiers in uniform to disagree publicly with the commander-in-chief. And, to the extent that the soldier’s quotes describe U.S. positions or troop morale, it is a serious breach of national security.

Civilian control of the military requires that elected leaders make policy decisions that the armed forces carry out — with the sole exception of orders that violate international humanitarian law.

Military leaders can offer advice to the president but cannot disobey or criticize his decisions while they are serving in the armed forces. Front-line aoldiers make the greatest and most admirable sacrifices, but they swear to defend the Constitution, not their opinions.

The following are Griffin’s tweets:

I just spoke to a distraught US Special Forces soldier who is among the 1000 or so US troops in Syria tonight who is serving alongside the SDF Kurdish forces. It was one of the hardest phone calls I have ever taken. “I am ashamed for the first time in my career.” — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

This veteran US Special forces soldier has trained indigenous forces on multiple continents. He is on the frontlines tonight and said they are witnessing Turkish atrocities. “Turkey is not doing what it agreed to. It’s horrible,” this military source on the ground told me. — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

“We met every single security agreement. The Kurds met every single agreement. There was NO threat to the Turks – NONE – from this side of the border.” “This is insanity,” the concerned US service member told me. “”I don’t know what they call atrocities but they are happening.” — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

This American soldier told me the Kurds have not left their positions guarding the ISIS prisoners. In fact “they prevented a prison break last night without us.”

“They are not abandoning our side (yet).”

The Kurds are “pleading for our support.” We are doing “nothing.” — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

Troops on the ground in Syria and their commanders were “surprised” by the decision Sunday night.

Of the President’s decision: “He doesn’t understand the problem. He doesn’t understand the repercussions of this. Erdogan is an Islamist, not a level headed actor.” — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

Acc to this US soldier on the ground tonight in Syria: “The Kurds are as close to Western thinking in the Middle East as anyone. “It’s a shame. It’s horrible.” “This is not helping the ISIS fight.” Re: ISIS prisoners: “Many of them will be free in the coming days and weeks.” — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

This US Special Forces soldier wanted me to know: “The Kurds are sticking by us. No other partner I have ever dealt with would stand by us.”

Disappointed in the decisions coming from their senior leaders. — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) October 9, 2019

There is no way to know the accuracy of the soldier’s claims — which Griffin later posted in a Fox News article co-authored by Melissa Leon — nor to elicit opposing views from other soldiers. It is simply one soldier’s opinion.

The sole purpose of reporting this story in public before, at bare minimum, doing more research or asking for comment from senior military leaders would seem to be making the maximum possible impact on a public policy debate.

That is not what soldiers should be doing, or journalists. It is illegal for the former, and unethical for the latter.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He earned an A.B. in Social Studies and Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.