An active-duty Air Force officer is under military investigation after staging a uniformed protest against President Donald Trump on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, a demonstration that resulted in his arrest and could expose him to disciplinary action under military law, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

Maj. Jason Watson, a 40-year-old logistics readiness officer assigned to a NATO integration unit in Poland, was arrested Wednesday after standing on the Capitol's House steps in uniform while holding a sign reading, "Impeach. Convict. Remove."

Watson held the sign aloft for three minutes before U.S. Capitol Police arrested him.

He was initially charged under a District of Columbia law that generally prohibits demonstrations on the House steps unless accompanied by a member of Congress.

The misdemeanor charge was dropped the following day, according to the D.C. attorney general's office.

Although the civilian charge was dismissed, Watson was taken into Air Force custody immediately after his release and remains at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington while the military investigates the incident, according to Jessica Denson, founder of the Removal Coalition, which organized the protest.

Denson said Watson remains under a gag order and is being held on the base pending possible military charges.

The Air Force confirmed it has opened an investigation into the incident.

Military law prohibits service members from using "contemptuous words" against the president, vice president, and other senior government officials while on duty.

Defense Department regulations also restrict active-duty personnel from engaging in partisan political activity while in uniform.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink wrote on X, "I expect every Airman and Guardian to comply with all laws and policies governing personal conduct, political participation, and the wear of the uniform. The Department takes allegations of misconduct seriously, including any that might undermine the nonpartisan nature of our military."

Before beginning his protest Wednesday, Watson acknowledged the personal consequences he expected to face, the Post reported.

"In the grand scheme of things, I'm just a nobody," he told reporters. "What matters far more than who I am is what I have to say and the price I'm willing to pay to say it."

Watson's Capitol protest followed more than a year of his public opposition to the Trump administration.

According to Denson, Watson previously conducted a 22-day anonymous hunger strike on Capitol grounds last year while wearing a white mask and white jumpsuit and displaying the same "Impeach. Convict. Remove." message.

He later said the anonymous demonstration attracted little public attention.

"It failed," Watson said. "There was nobody paying attention because it's just easy to ignore a lone actor."

Watson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and entered active duty in 2009, according to an Air Force spokesperson.

During Watson's career, he has served in Alaska, the southwestern U.S., Europe, the Pacific region, and the Middle East.

He said he spent months weighing the impact his public opposition to Trump could have on his family against what he described as his obligation to uphold the Constitution.

"What it is that I am going to be putting my family through as a result of these decisions is not in any way fair to them," Watson said, referring to his children, former wife, and extended family.

"I'd say it really just comes down to my oath to the Constitution, and how do I honor that?" he said. "I think the most American and patriotic thing you can do is to call for our constitutional remedy to this situation."

Denson said Watson anticipated severe consequences for his actions and was prepared to accept them.

"He is 100% prepared for this — prepared for the worst-of-the-worst outcome," she said.