Raymond Thomas testifying on his nomination to be general and commander of the US Special Operations Command during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 9. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque The head of US Special Operations Command just gave a frank assessment of the state of the American government, and it wasn't pretty.

Speaking at a military conference in Maryland, Gen. Raymond Thomas told attendees: "Our government continues to be in unbelievable turmoil. I hope they sort it out soon because we're a nation at war."

Thomas didn't mention any specific issues with the government. But his remarks came less than a month into the Trump administration and less than a day after Michael Flynn abruptly resigned as national security adviser over the fallout of his having discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the US before Trump took office.

A New York Times report published Tuesday evening also said Trump campaign officials spoke with Russian intelligence officials often before the election, and a Times investigation into Trump's National Security Council revealed a chaotic decision-making process.

From The Times:

"Three weeks into the Trump administration, council staff members get up in the morning, read President Trump's Twitter posts and struggle to make policy to fit them. Most are kept in the dark about what Mr. Trump tells foreign leaders in his phone calls. Some staff members have turned to encrypted communications to talk with their colleagues, after hearing that Mr. Trump's top advisers are considering an 'insider threat' program that could result in monitoring cellphones and emails for leaks."

When asked later about his comments, Thomas told The Times: "As a commander, I'm concerned our government be as stable as possible."

It's rather uncharacteristic for a top active-duty military officer to offer such public critiques, but it's not the first time. A military judge said earlier this week that Trump's campaign rhetoric about Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl on the campaign trail was "disturbing."

Still, Thomas concluded that the Special Operations forces under his command — including Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces, and Marine Raiders — were "staying focused" despite the dysfunction in Washington.