Andrew Stanton - 1h ago
General Mark Milley once warned former President Donald Trump's advisers that they could be tried for war crimes during a heated discussion about military activity against Iran, according to a new book.
General Mark Milley warned Trump advisers they could be tried for war crimes during a discussion about military action against Iran, according to an excerpt from a new book. Above, Milley speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 2021.
Trump appointed Milley to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in December 2018, but multiple disagreements throughout his tenure quickly strained their relationship, according to an excerpt published in The New Yorker on Monday from the book, The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021, by Susan B. Glasser and Peter Baker.
The excerpt outlined the tense relationship between Trump and his generals, who often found themselves at odds with the ex-president over what they viewed as misuses of the military. These concerns included his plans to send the military in to stop protests in the summer of 2020 following the police murder of George Floyd, and concerns he would start unnecessary wars.
After months of frustration, Milley eventually viewed his role as a guardrail against any efforts to use the military against American civilians or start a foreign war—concerns that grew throughout 2020, as some advisers pushed for a strike against Iran, according to the book.
Trump's team began pushing for a "showdown" with Iran amid concerns that they would lose the 2020 presidential election, according to the excerpt. Military action against Iran would have been viewed as an escalation with the Middle Eastern country and would likely have far-reaching consequences.
One adviser allegedly told Trump that if he lost the election, he should strike Iran's nuclear program. Then-Vice President Mike Pence allegedly considered taking the drastic action also "because they are evil," the book reported.
During one meeting with Trump's advisers, Milley offered a dire warning against escalating to war with Iran "If we do what you're saying, we are all going to be tried as war criminals in The Hague," he said, according to the book.
Milley Once Penned Resignation Letter
Milley grew frustrated with Trump at several other points during his presidency, according to the book. At one point, he even planned to resign from office following controversy about appearing with Trump at a controversial photo-op at Lafayette Square in front of St. John's Church in Washington, D.C. The controversy came after police dispersed a crowd of people who were peacefully protesting Floyd's death, sparking a dialogue about the role of the military in civil life.
The incident, and its fallout, prompted Milley to pen a resignation letter, where he accused the president of "doing great and irreparable harm to my country."
"I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military. I thought that I could change that. I've come to the realization that I cannot, and I need to step aside and let someone else try to do that," he wrote, according to the excerpt.
However, he ultimately decided not to quit, instead opting to continue to serve in the Trump administration, the book reported. He reportedly told his staff: "F*** that s***. I'll just fight him."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for comment.
‘Doesn’t look good for me’: Trump sought to exclude wounded veterans from parade
Cami Mondeaux - 4h ago
As President Donald Trump sought to hold a spectacular military parade on the Fourth of July, the former president had a request that stunned his top military advisers: He didn’t want wounded veterans to be on display.
© Provided by Washington Examiner‘
Trump had been inspired to hold a grand Independence Day parade in the summer of 2018 after attending the Bastille Day parade in France the year before. However, he reportedly lamented the presence of wounded soldiers in wheelchairs who had lost limbs in battle, requesting they not be present.
MARK MILLEY ACCUSED TRUMP OF ‘IRREPARABLE HARM’ IN UNSENT RESIGNATION LETTER: REPORT
“Look, I don’t want any wounded guys in the parade,” Trump said, according to an excerpt of the forthcoming book The Divider by journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker. “This doesn’t look good for me.”
The comment stunned the generals present for the meeting, worsening frustrations already brewing amid the administration, according to the book.
“Those are the heroes,” John Kelly, then-White House chief of staff, told Trump. “In our society, there’s only one group of people who are more heroic than they are — and they are buried over in Arlington.”
Top military generals advised against holding the parade due to high costs, and the event was ultimately delayed. However, Trump did end up hosting a “Salute to America” parade on the Fourth of July in 2019.
The former president’s comments that he didn’t want wounded soldiers present for the parade were previously reported by the Atlantic in September 2020. The White House denied those reports.
"President Trump holds the military in the highest regard,” a White House spokesperson said at the time. “He's demonstrated his commitment to them at every turn: delivering on his promise to give our troops a much needed pay raise, increasing military spending, signing critical veterans reforms, and supporting military spouses. These nameless anecdotes have no basis in fact and are offensive fiction."
However, the corroborated version of events told in Glasser and Baker’s book offers an inside glimpse of the relationship between Trump and some of his top military officials, who became increasingly frustrated with the former president during his final days in office.
Several officials, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, considered resigning from the White House in the summer of 2020, accusing Trump of ensuing “great and irreparable harm” to the country.
The Divider, which describes behind-the-scenes details and unreported conversations that occurred inside the White House during Trump’s presidency, is scheduled to be released on Sept. 20.
Cami Mondeaux - 4h ago
As President Donald Trump sought to hold a spectacular military parade on the Fourth of July, the former president had a request that stunned his top military advisers: He didn’t want wounded veterans to be on display.
© Provided by Washington Examiner‘
Trump had been inspired to hold a grand Independence Day parade in the summer of 2018 after attending the Bastille Day parade in France the year before. However, he reportedly lamented the presence of wounded soldiers in wheelchairs who had lost limbs in battle, requesting they not be present.
MARK MILLEY ACCUSED TRUMP OF ‘IRREPARABLE HARM’ IN UNSENT RESIGNATION LETTER: REPORT
“Look, I don’t want any wounded guys in the parade,” Trump said, according to an excerpt of the forthcoming book The Divider by journalists Susan Glasser and Peter Baker. “This doesn’t look good for me.”
The comment stunned the generals present for the meeting, worsening frustrations already brewing amid the administration, according to the book.
“Those are the heroes,” John Kelly, then-White House chief of staff, told Trump. “In our society, there’s only one group of people who are more heroic than they are — and they are buried over in Arlington.”
Top military generals advised against holding the parade due to high costs, and the event was ultimately delayed. However, Trump did end up hosting a “Salute to America” parade on the Fourth of July in 2019.
The former president’s comments that he didn’t want wounded soldiers present for the parade were previously reported by the Atlantic in September 2020. The White House denied those reports.
"President Trump holds the military in the highest regard,” a White House spokesperson said at the time. “He's demonstrated his commitment to them at every turn: delivering on his promise to give our troops a much needed pay raise, increasing military spending, signing critical veterans reforms, and supporting military spouses. These nameless anecdotes have no basis in fact and are offensive fiction."
However, the corroborated version of events told in Glasser and Baker’s book offers an inside glimpse of the relationship between Trump and some of his top military officials, who became increasingly frustrated with the former president during his final days in office.
Several officials, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, considered resigning from the White House in the summer of 2020, accusing Trump of ensuing “great and irreparable harm” to the country.
The Divider, which describes behind-the-scenes details and unreported conversations that occurred inside the White House during Trump’s presidency, is scheduled to be released on Sept. 20.
No comments:
Post a Comment