Trump has previously accused General Milley of betraying the country because of his phone call with the Chinese. The phone calls took place in the final weeks of Trump’s first presidency, when Trump supporters protested at the U.S. Capitol building in 2021.
According to the report, in a phone call, General Milley assured the Chinese side that the United States would not launch a nuclear attack. Trump described the calls on social media as “an act that in the past would have been punishable by death!”
However, General Milley testified that these phone calls were coordinated with other defence secretaries.
In 2023, when he gave his last speech as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley said the military had not sworn an oath to a “dictator.” Many took the comment as a reference to Trump, who initially nominated him for the job.
Before Trump’s return to the White House, outgoing President Joe Biden granted a former chief pardon to protect General Milly and some others, including Fauci, from Trump’s retaliation.
Biden’s statement said the pardons “should not be taken as an acknowledgment of any wrongdoing.”
General Milley thanked Biden for the move and said he no longer wanted to “fight someone who retaliates for injustice” for the rest of his life.
In addition, the news of General Milley’s security details and security clearance being revoked was confirmed in a statement to CBS News.
The Office of Inspector General of the Ministry of Defense has also been asked to “conduct an investigation to review the reality and circumstances of General Milley’s conduct” so that the Secretary of Defense can determine the appropriateness of reopening his military grade review.
Trump’s new administration also revoked security protections for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton and former envoy Brian Hook.