Pentagon chief takes aim: Hegseth targets Milley's legacy
New Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth takes action against former U.S. Armed Forces commander Mark Milley. This is due to Milley's comments about Donald Trump, with the media describing it as "revenge." Milley had previously received death threats, and Joe Biden issued a pardon to protect him from the new president.
Hegseth stripped former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley of protection and ordered the inspector general to initiate an investigation that could potentially lead to the demotion of the retired general.
Milley, known for his criticism of Trump, described him as "a fascist to the core" and reminded the military of their oath to the Constitution, not to a "tyrant," as reported by The New York Times.
During his tenure, General Milley opposed Trump, leading to tensions. Bob Woodward wrote in his book that Milley expressed concerns about Trump's emotional stability and his control over nuclear weapons. The general contacted his Chinese counterpart twice to assure them of the stability of the U.S. and to avoid escalation of tensions.
After Milley's departure, Trump accused him of collaborating with China, which he considered treason, even threatening the death penalty. The Washington Post reminds us that it was Trump who appointed Milley, but their conflict began when the president wanted to use the military to suppress protests.
He feared a coup
According to findings by The Washington Post journalists Carol Duhurst Leonnig and Philip Rucker, presented in their book "I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year," Milley feared that Trump was preparing a coup after losing the election. He reportedly told his colleagues that such a plan would fail because "We’re the guys with the guns." On January 12, 2021, Milley and the chiefs of staff issued a statement condemning the attack by Trump supporters on the Capitol, which had occurred less than a week earlier.
The president is so hostile toward the general that Milley's portrait as the commander of the armed forces was removed just a few days after its unveiling in the Pentagon hall, which displays portraits of his predecessors. Hegseth plans to remove another portrait of the general from his time as the commander of the ground forces.
Milley stepped down as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in September 2023 and shortly afterward announced that he had taken steps to protect his family following threats from Trump on social media.
