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In a stunning turn of events, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed the security clearance and personal security detail of retired General Mark Milley, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The move also included a directive to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General to investigate Milley’s conduct to see if he should be demoted by stripping one star from his retired rank.
Gen. Milley served as the nation’s top military officer from 2019 to 2023 under both Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden and has been a figure of controversy for his candid criticisms of former President Trump. Milley called Trump “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country,” quoting from Bob Woodward’s book “War.” In his final speech as chairman, Milley said that the military did not swear its oath to a “wannabe dictator,” and that was seen by many observers as a reference to Trump. Things had already been tense between Milley and Trump, especially after it came to light that Milley, during the last months of Trump’s first term, had called his Chinese counterpart to reassure him that the U.S. did not plan a nuclear strike.
These, to him, were moves to prevent potential conflicts; to Trump, they were “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” Milley has since defended his communications, characterizing them as coordinated with other defense officials. In anticipation of backlash, lame-duck President Joe Biden had granted pre-emptive pardons for a number of individuals, including Milley and former top health official Anthony Fauci. Biden, in making the statement, contended that the pardons should “not be mistaken as an acknowledgment” of wrongdoing on the part of the recipients. Milley, in a statement, embraced the pardon, not wanting to place his family and colleagues “at risk of distraction, expense, and anxiety.” The stripping of Milley’s security protections is the same action the Trump administration has levied against a handful of other former officials who have spoken ill of the president. Indeed, security details were also yanked from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton, and former Iran envoy Brian Hook.
The emerging crisis serves to emphasize both the polarization in the political establishment and that of the U.S. military-the boundless challenges officials find in trying to strike a balance between military duty with political dynamics.
